Sir — This refers to the Union Government considering the dilution of the whistleblowers’ protection Act by exempting from it issues relating to national security and sovereignty. But corruption, scams and scandals are also exposed in public authorities relating to national security and sovereignty. It will be better if the proposed amendments to the Act are not made applicable to whistleblowers who expose matters of corruption, even though such aspects of corruption may relate to organisations concerned with national security.
Such a provision can be drafted on lines of Section 24 of the Right to Information Act. Rather, the Act needs strengthening by having some provision of security for ordinary members of the public who expose scams and scandals. The whistleblowers’ protection Act in its present form provides protection to whistleblowers within the public authorities, from administrative victimisation.