Library Review Empowering the poor with right to information and library services Vivekanand Jain, Sanjiv Saraf,

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1 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) Library Review Empowering the poor with right to information and library services Vivekanand Jain, Sanjiv Saraf, Article information: To cite this document: Vivekanand Jain, Sanjiv Saraf, (2013) "Empowering the poor with right to information and library services", Library Review, Vol 62 Issue: 1/2, pp47-52, Permanent link to this document: Downloaded on: 01 January 2018, At: 18:24 (PT) References: this document contains references to 14 other documents To copy this document: The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 3521 times since 2013* Users who downloaded this article also downloaded: (2013),"Public libraries and difficulties with targeting the homeless", Library Review, Vol 62 Iss 1/2 pp 7-18 <a href=" (2013),"Not just a place to sleep: homeless perspectives on libraries in central Michigan", Library Review, Vol 62 Iss 1/2 pp <a href=" doiorg/101108/ </a> Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by All users group For Authors If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all Please visit wwwemeraldinsightcom/authors for more information About Emerald wwwemeraldinsightcom Emerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation *Related content and download information correct at time of download

2 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at wwwemeraldinsightcom/ htm Empowering the poor with right to information and library services Vivekanand Jain and Sanjiv Saraf Central Library, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India Empowering the poor 47 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) Abstract Purpose Information is playing a vital role in modern socio-economic developments The poor homeless citizens of special needs are also empowered with the Right to Information Act 2005 in India People can ask to the government policies for eradication of poverty Information literacy regarding various rights may change the scenario of society In India, government started various ICT-based policies for eradication of poverty with public private partnership Some important projects are: Akshaya, Anand, Bhoomi, E-chaupal, E-Seva, Gramdoot, N-Logue, India Agriland, Janmitra, etc but actually real needy people are not aware about these policies, so they are not able to get the benefit of these policies Thus, right to information and libraries can create an environment of information literacy among poor people, so that they may know their rights and improve their living standard They may also know the details of government initiatives for the welfare of the society After taking the benefits of policies they will be a well-informed citizen Indian Government initiatives like right to food scheme or midday meal scheme for schoolchildren, right to education, right to information and role of libraries are discussed in detail Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study of Indian Government policies and role of non-governmental organizations for eradication of poverty through information and communication technology applications Findings Internet, libraries and other social media are empowering the users with information International and national organisations are taking care of basic human rights It is the real democracy, if we implement right to information effectively Only free flow of information can reduce the digital divide/information divide among the citizens Now there are a number of national and international laws related to right to information, so there is a need to apply them effectively for the benefit of the poor human beings and make them well-informed, self-dependent, respectable citizens Research limitations/implications This paper is based on a review of literature and evaluation of policies in India Practical implications There is a need to develop the public library system with extension service to poor and homeless people Social implications There is a need for emphasis on an information literacy programme for the poor Originality/value It is the authors opinion with original thoughts Keywords Information literacy, Information services, Lifelong learning, RTI Act, Indian Government initiatives, Library extension services, Poverty, Information Paper type Research paper Received 11 September 2012 Accepted 12 February 2013 Introduction The socio-economic conditions of poor and homeless people differ from one country to another According to the 2011 census, the population of India is over 1,210 million, and This paper was originally presented at an IFLA 2012 Section and Satellite Program meeting co-sponsored by the IFLA Library Services to People with Special Needs Section and Tallinn Central Library in Estonia, held in Tallinn, 10 August 2012 Published with the kind permission of IFLA wwwiflaorg/ Library Review Vol 62 No 1/2, 2013 pp q Emerald Group Publishing Limited DOI /

3 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) LR 62,1/2 48 has the world s largest number of poor people As per the Indian Economic Survey, 35 per cent of people earn less than US$1 a day, and 86 per cent people earn less than US$2 a day (Poverty in India, 2013; Census of India, 2011; Indian Economic Survey , 2012) According to a World Bank (2005) estimate, 416 per cent of the total Indian population falls below the international poverty line (US$125 a day) As per Tendulkar committee, over 37 per cent of the population comes below the poverty line These statistics are accepted by the Planning Commission, Government of India (Poverty in India, 2013) Library can exist without walls, but library services for homeless people are a very difficult task If a person is suffering from lack of basic human needs like food, clothes and shelter, how can s/he be mentally ready to obtain information? As a library professional, I personally believe that information can change the lives of homeless poor people and turn them into well informed citizens, with homes and respect Information can generate a lot of money and improve their socio economic conditions The Government of India started various ICT based policies for the eradication of poverty with public private partnership Some important policies are: Akshaya, Anand, Bhoomi, E-chaupal, E-Seva, Gramdoot, India Agriland, Janmitra, and so forth, but those in real need are not aware of these policies, so they are not able to get the benefit of them The right to information (RTI) and libraries can create an environment of information literacy among poor people, enabling them to have access to their rights, and may improve their living standards They may also know the details of government initiatives for the welfare of society After taking the benefits of policies they will be well informed citizens Under an RTI one can ask: Why am I poor? Who is responsible for it? What are the initiatives taken by government for the eradication of poverty? All such queries can be fulfilled via an RTI, but awareness is essential for it to be successful Therefore, information literacy amongst poor people is very essential in solving their basic problems Literacy alone cannot change their way of life, there is a need for information literacy According to the Indian Census 2011, the literacy rate has increased to 74 per cent, but, what about information literacy? A well qualified person may be computer illiterate and/or information illiterate Most of the policies are prepared by the government for the benefit of the poor citizens, but as a result of poor communication, these policies have failed, and those in real need are not able to obtain the benefits from them Therefore, the role of libraries is very important in making them aware of these policies, plans and programmes designed for their benefit The National Forum on Information Literacy (2012) defines information literacy as: The ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use that information for the issue or problem at hand Information literacy therefore requires lifelong learning, but for poor people, there is a need to develop the community information system and public library system in India Fundamental rights in India The Constitution of India provides the following fundamental rights to its citizens (Fundamental Rights in India, 2013) (Table I) The Indian Constitution acts as a guarantee that all Indian citizens can and will live their life in peace as long as they live in Indian democracy

4 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) Right to equality Equality before law and equal protection of law Prohibition of discrimination on sole grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment Right to freedom Freedom of speech and expression Freedom of assembly Freedom to form associations Freedom of residence and settlement Freedom of profession, occupation, trade and business Protection of life and personal liberty Right against exploitation Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour Right to freedom of religion Cultural and educational rights Right to constitutional remedies Prohibition of employment of children in factories, etc Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion Freedom to manage religious affairs Freedom as to attendance at religious ceremonies in certain educational institutions Protection of interests of minorities Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions The right to move the supreme court in case of their violation Equality before law and equal protection of law Government of India initiatives The Government of India began various schemes for socio-economic development and the eradication of poverty and a selection of these are discussed below: Right to education The Government of India initiated essential free and compulsory education for all children from the age of six to 14 years The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act came into force as of 1 April 2010 This was a historic day for the people of India as from this day the right to education is accorded the same legal status as the right to life as provided by Article 21A of the Indian Constitution Right to food scheme The Indian Government began the right to food scheme for children in schools The scheme is implemented by state government as a Mid-Day Meal Scheme since April 2002 This scheme attracts thousands of children into primary education as otherwise poor people do not send their children to school The positive impacts are an increase in literacy and a reduction in child labour in India RTI The Government of India enacted the Right to Information Act 2005 (RTI Act), marking a watershed in the nation s democratic development It empowers citizens with the right to demand what activities and decisions are being made in their name Library services are also covered under RTI However, librarians have provided information to their patrons for centuries without these laws Dr SR Ranganathan formulated Library laws in the 1930s, for example, which provided guidelines to all library professionals The scope of the RTI Act is India-wide and it is implemented in all states of India, thus all libraries funded by government or public support come under the provisions of the RTI Act These libraries are supposed to provide essential information if requested by a citizen of India As per RTI Act any citizen can request information from any public or government funded institution, and this therefore includes libraries Empowering the poor 49 Table I Fundamental rights in India

5 LR 62,1/2 50 RTI is linked to concepts of the information society in which the quality of life, as well as prospects for social change and economic development, depend increasingly on information and its use In the world of knowledge-based competition, intellectual property rights have emerged as a strategic tool There is a need to know the extent of intellectual property rights, and their use in the contemporary information and knowledge society As per the RTI Act 2005, every institution should disclose essential information for general use This includes duties and responsibilities of the staff, names of officers and their contact numbers, mission, vision, goal, values, and so forth Libraries should display this important information and have a complete library manual It may include a list of staff and their duties or different positions and their assigned duties Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) RTI and libraries Library activities and services are user centered Libraries already try to provide the best services to all their users with librarians keeping users needs in mind constantly Thus, even before being asked by the users, librarians are ready to provide information to them Freedom of expression encompasses the freedom of speech and the corollary right to receive information (Indian Constitution, Article 19(1)a) Libraries and librarians protect and promote these rights by selecting, producing, providing access to, identifying, organising, providing instruction in the use of, and preserving recorded expression regardless of the format or technology In those states where the Public Library Act is implemented, and a public library system functioning, citizens have the right to access information If they do not obtain information in time, they may go to a court of law Laws of library science There are five laws of Library Science which are still valid in present modern information society The basic concept of the Book is now replaced by documents/ information/ knowledge/web resources, amongst other media Among all these laws, the Second law of Library Science is very important and deals with rights of the user that is, Every reader his/her book It indirectly supports the RTI of users RTI in web environment Information available on the web or through other social media is for the use of society Web resources are created for potential users There is a need for balance between making web resources and the basic right of all users to have access to the web resources they need anywhere in the world A web site must formulate access policies to ensure that the collection it is building and maintaining is appropriate and adequate to fulfill the expectations of its community of users A web site must contain resources appropriate to the needs of all its users Any web site that limits access in any way must ensure that this restriction does not prevent adequate access to the collection by the users that the web site was created to serve The rights of users Article 19 of the United Nations says Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression is the basic human right (Meinzen-Dick, 2009) Along the same lines,

6 the Government of India implemented a law which is called RTI to the citizen of India as indicated above Now they have the right to know government policies, decisions related to common men Now they can fight on the basis of facts closed in files of government offices Users are the key of all information related activities; without users, information has no meaning Now users are empowered by the above laws and rules RTI Act of India provides following rights to a citizen of India: equity of information to all citizens; to know new Government policies and their status of implementation; to know government decisions of benefit to society; to get any relevant information earlier hidden by officers; to know the status of the use of public money and public funds; and a public information system Empowering the poor 51 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) The internet provides expanding opportunities for everyone to participate in the information society, but many users still experience difficulties in accessing information on the internet due to lack of knowledge regarding retrieval procedures Libraries can play a critical role in bridging information access gaps for these individuals, and train them to use information successfully Librarians can develop information gateways to users in their specific subject fields It provides easy access as well as saving the time of users Information communication technologies (ICT) are revolutionising the way people live and work The telecommunications revolution in general, and the internet in particular, have changed our perception of distance Promotion of democracy and ensuring equality of opportunity cannot be sustained unless steps are taken to avoid the creation of an information poor subclass, which does not have access to the emerging ICTs The occurrence and widening of the gap between the information rich and the information poor is not merely an issue between the developed and developing nations, but within a nation also Conclusion Internet, libraries and other social media are empowering users by their provision of information International and national organisations are taking care of basic human rights It is real democracy if we implement the RTI effectively Only the free flow of information can reduce the digital divide and information divide among the citizens On the recommendations of National Knowledge Commission, the Government of India appointed the National Library Commission It may recommend a nationwide public library system, which will help the citizen of India to get the essential information in all fields Annan (2001) said: Information Technology is not a magic formula that is going to solve all our problems But it is a powerful tool with diverse applications Our challenge is to put that power at the service of all humankind There are numerous National and International laws, and there is a need to apply them effectively for the benefit of the poor to make them well informed, self-dependent, respectable citizens

7 Downloaded by At 18:24 01 January 2018 (PT) LR 62,1/2 52 References Annan, K (2001), Message released on digital divide, UN, 24 January Census of India (2011), available at: html (accessed 20 January 2013) Fundamental Rights in India (2013), available at: wwwfacts-about-indiacom/fundamentalrights-in-indiaphp (accessed 16 March 2012) Indian Economic Survey (2012), available at: (accessed 28 April 2012) Meinzen-Dick, R (2009), Property rights for poverty reduction?, Working Paper No 91, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, New York, NY, December, available at: wwwunorg/esa/desa/papers/2009/wp91_2009pdf (accessed 20 January 2013) National Forum on Information Literacy (2012), What is information literacy?, available at: (accessed 12 December 2012) Poverty in India (2013), available at: (accessed 20 January 2013) Further reading Harris, R and Rajora, R (2006), Empowering the Poor: Information and Communications Technology for Governance and Poverty Reduction: A Study of Rural Development Projects in India, UNDP-APDIP ICT4D Series, Elsevier, New Delhi, available at: bilkentedutr/acik-kaynak/empoweringpdf Mistry, IJ (2006), Breaking the bureaucratic mould, Yojana, available at: www humanrightsinitiativeorg/new/2006/breaking_the_bureaucratic_mouldhtm Neelameghan, A (2003), Freedom of information, copyright and data protection, and intellectual property rights in information policies: UNESCO-FID survey, in Bavakutty, M, Veeran, MCK and Muhammed Salih, TK (Eds), Information Access, Management and Exchange in the Technological Age, Ess Ess Publications, New Delhi, pp NIC (2009), Informatics: an e-governance bulletin from national informatics centre, Vol 18 No1, available at: (accessed 15 April 2012) Noruzi, A (2004), Application of Ranganathan s laws to the web, Webology, Vol 1 No 2, Article 8, available at: wwwwebologyir/2004/v1n2/a8html (accessed 20 January 2013) Right to Education Act, 2009 (2013), available at: wwwicbsecom/2010/education-rte-act-2009 (accessed 20 January 2013) Right to Food (2013), available at: wwwrighttofoodindiaorg/campaign/campaignhtml (accessed 20 January 2013) Corresponding author Vivekanand Jain can be contacted at: Vivek_digora@rediffmailcom To purchase reprints of this article please reprints@emeraldinsightcom Or visit our web site for further details: wwwemeraldinsightcom/reprints