Nerve Endings Firing Away

…for his contribution to the Right to Information Act (RTI) that has probably made the government in India far more accountable and transparent than they would have wished to be:

Arvind Kejriwal, who founded Indian NGO Parivartan (Change), was given the award for “activating the right to information movement at the grassroots”. The pioneering new law gives Indians the right to access information held by the government. Mr Kejriwal, 38, has been also lauded for fighting corruption in the country.

Seven-year-old Parivartan has only 10 full time members and is credited with leading the campaign for the freedom of information law in the country. The nationwide law is aimed at increasing transparency in public life and helping curb corruption. Mr Kejriwal, a former tax officer, has also led an anti-graft campaign in the capital, Delhi. He has also campaigned against the privatisation of water supplies in the city.

“[He] reminds Indians that the boons of collective action, such as the honest delivery of services, have already been paid for through taxes,” said the award citation for Mr Kejriwal.