The Strategic Forces Command, which forms part of the National Command Authority (NCA), has been added to the Second Schedule of the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005, which exempts security and intelligence establishments from its purview.
A government notification said the Strategy Forces Command was being brought under sub-section (2) of Section 24 of the RTI. The NCA’s Executive Council, chaired by the National Security Adviser, gives inputs to the Political Council, which authorises a nuclear attack if need be.
The Political Council is chaired by the Prime Minister and advised by the Executive Council.
This mechanism is meant to ensure that the nuclear weapons are under civilian control. A Command and Control (C2) mechanism prevents their accidental or unauthorised use.
The NCA’s directives are executed by the Strategic Forces Command headed by a Commander-in-Chief of the rank of Air Marshal.
Only exceptionSection 24 says the Act is not applicable to the intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule. The only exception is for information on allegations of corruption and human rights violations.
Among the organisations included in the Second Schedule are the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing of the Cabinet Secretariat, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the Special Frontier Force, the Border Security Force, the National Security Guards and the Assam Rifles.
Section 8, which deals with exemption from disclosure of information says that there shall be no obligation to provide any citizen information, disclosure of which will affect India’s sovereignty and integrity, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the state and relations with foreign States or will lead to incitement of an offence.
