Administrative Reforms Commission recommended that this act be repealed, for it is incongruous with the regime of transparency in a democratic society, and safeguards for state security should be incorporated in the National Security Act.

Indeed, the RTI has excluded organisations such as R&AW from its purview, but the OSA, 1923 clearly conflicts with the RTI where the provisions relating to obligations of public authority are concerned. Singh’s book, read and seen in the light of the antiquated OSA and the RTI, opens up a whole range of issues relating to redefinition of the intelligence agencies and their organisational aspects that must come under the public domain. Does the R&AW not need parliamentary scrutiny on the sordid

Rabinder Singh episode? Where should agencies such as this be located? Intelligence, excluding the military intelligence, is conceptually part of the police powers of the state and to that extent accountable through scrutiny so that it is not misused. Many such questions arise while reading Singh’s book.

Indeed, the unwarranted governmental reaction to the book gives an opportunity to the civil society to ponder over them.

The writer is director, Centre for Public Affairs, Noida