Anjali Bhardwaj is an Indian social activist and RTI activist who works towards strengthening the implementation of the right to information act. She is a co-convenor of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI) and a founding member of Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS).
Wiki/Biography
Anjali Bhardwaj was born in 1973 (age 50 years; as of 2022). She pursued a Bachelor of Arts at Lady Sri Ram College in Delhi and earned a master’s degree from the University of Oxford.
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
There is not much information available about her family.
Career
Social Activism
In 1999, Anjali Bharadwaj took steps in the right-to-information movement. She is a co-convenor of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI). Anjali also works toward the Whistle Blowers Protection Act 2011, the Grievance Redress Bill 2011, and The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. Anjali is one of the founding members of Satark Nagrik Sangathan (SNS) or Society for Citizens Vigilance Initiatives (SCVI), which is a citizens’ group that promotes transparency and accountability in government functioning. Apart from this, she also works with the RTI Assessment & Advocacy Group (RAAG), which is an organization established in 2008. Being a part of this group, Anjali and other members undertake ongoing assessments of the implementation of the RTI Act. She is also a leading member of the Right to Food campaign, where she advocates the generalization of the public distribution system, the right to work, land reform, and social security for all citizens of India.
Anjali Bhardwaj with other RTI activists during a protest in 2021
Literary works
Anjali is a prominent writer and has published articles in many news publishing prints such as an article on Lokpal amendments in Indian Express, an article on the Prevention of Corruption Act in The Hindu, an article on the Lokpal Bill in the Economic Times, an article on the performance of Information Commissions in The Deccan Herald, and an article on proposed amendments to the RTI Act in Outlook magazine.
Awards & Honours
- 2009: Awarded the Ashoka Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurs for using the RTI Act to ensure transparency, accountability and responsiveness in the functioning of elected representatives
- 2011: Presented the Honour Roll of Lady Shri Ram College for promoting transparency and accountability in governance
- 2021: International Anticorruption Champions Award by the US Department of State
Anjali Bhardwaj receiving the International Anticorruption Champions Award in 2021
Facts/Trivia
- She is one of the 12 individuals who were named by the Joe Biden administration for a newly-instituted International Anti-Corruption Champions Award.
Congratulations to @AnjaliB_ for being named one of the inaugural @StateDept International Anticorruption Champions Award winners! This award recognizes courageous work of anticorruption advocates from around the world. Read more: https://t.co/Af95S4urVF #UnitedAgainstCorruption pic.twitter.com/hNzCYPSTVx
— U.S. Ambassador to India (@USAmbIndia) February 23, 2021
- On 14 December 2022, Anjali Bharadwaj along with other RTI activists Dipa Sinha and Sachin Jain marked their presence at an event, which was a part of the Right To Food campaign.
Dipa Sinha, Anjali Bharadwaj and Sachin Jain respond to the challenge of data on nutrition.
Fresh insights on the impact of the imminent data protection bill on grassroots surveys and organisations working with communities.@NFI_India#RightToFood#SocialProtection4Nutrition pic.twitter.com/YKzO7gqa4C
— Biraj Patnaik (@birajpat) December 14, 2022
- On 29 October 2022, she attended the Karnataka convention on Electoral Democracy, which was jointly organised by Constitutional Conduct Group, Jan Sarokar, People-First, National Alliance for People’s Movements, and Election Watch (Karnataka) organised at the Indian Social Institute in Bangalore.