Right to Information Act

What is RTI Act?

 Provides a legal framework of citizens' democratic right to access to

information under the control of public authorities;
 • To promote transparency and accountability in the functioning of every
public authority
Introduction

 The Right to Information Act, 2005 is an important legislation in India

that aims to promote transparency and accountability in the functioning
of public authorities.
 The act was passed by the Parliament of India and came into effect on
October 12, 2005. It empowers citizens by providing them with the right
to access information from public authorities across the country.
Key features of the Right to
Information Act, 2005:1. O
1. Objective: The primary objective of the act is to empower citizens and
promote transparency and accountability in the functioning of
government and public institutions.
2. Applicability: The act is applicable to all government bodies and public
authorities at the central, state, and local levels, as well as bodies that
are owned, controlled, or substantially financed by the government.
3. Right to Information: The act provides every citizen of India with the
right to request and access information from public authorities. This
information can be related to the government's functioning, decisions,
policies, and expenditure.
4. Public Information Officer (PIO): Every public authority is
required to designate a Public Information Officer (PIO) who is
responsible for receiving and responding to information
requests from the public.
5. Request for Information: Any citizen can submit a written
request for information to the Public Information Officer. The
request should clearly state the particulars of the information
sought and the contact details of the applicant.
6. Timeframe for Response: The act stipulates that the PIO
must respond to the request within 30 days from the date of
receipt. In certain cases, where the information concerns the
life or liberty of a person, the response must be provided
within 48 hours.
7. Exemptions: The act does have some exemptions, and
certain types of information may be withheld from disclosure,
such as information related to national security, trade secrets,
personal privacy, etc. However, these exemptions are subject
to specific conditions and public interest considerations.
8. Appeals and Complaints: If an applicant is not satisfied with the
response received or the information was denied, they have the right to
file an appeal with a higher authority called the First Appellate
Authority. If the applicant is still not satisfied, they can file a second
appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) at the central
level or the respective State Information Commission (SIC) at the state
level.
9. Fees and Costs: Public authorities may charge a nominal fee for
providing the information. However, applicants from certain
disadvantaged categories are usually exempt from paying any fee.
 The Right to Information Act, 2005 has been instrumental in
empowering citizens to hold the government accountable and bring
greater transparency in the country's governance. It has played a crucial
role in promoting good governance, fighting corruption, and facilitating
the flow of information from the government to the citizens.
Who is a Public Authority?

 "Public Authority" means any authority or institution established or

constituted
 By or under the constitution;
 By any other law made by Parliament;
 By any other law made by State Legislature;
 By notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government and
includes any
i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed,
ii) non - Government organization substantially financed
directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;
What does 'information' mean?

 Records
 Documents
 Memos
 Opinions & advices
 Press releases
 Circulars, orders &logbooks
 Contracts
 Reports, papers, samples & models
Need for RTI Act

Because it helps to:

 Promote openness, transparency and accountability in the working of
every public authority.
 Reduce Corruption
 Prevent administrative arbitrariness
 Bride the gap between providers and recipient of public services
 Make citizens part of decision making
 Make administrative responsive
 Strengthen the foundations of democracy
Definitions
 "appropriate Government" means in relation to a public authority which is
established, constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by
funds provided directly or indirectly—
(i) by the Central Government or the Union territory administration,
the Central Government;
(ii) by the State Government, the State Government;

 "Central Information Commission" means the Central Information

Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 12;
 Central Public Information Officer" means the Central Public Information
Officer designated under sub-section
(1) and includes a Central Assistant Public Information Officer
designated as such under sub-section
(2) of section 5;
 "Chief Information Commissioner" and "Information Commissioner" mean
the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner
appointed under sub-section (3) of section 12;
 "competent authority" means—
(i) the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative
Assembly of a State or a Union territory having such Assembly and the
Chairman in the case of the Council of States or Legislative Council of a State;
(ii) the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court;
(iii) the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court;
(iv) the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of
other authorities established or constituted by or under the Constitution;
(v) the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution;
 "information" means any material in any form, including records, documents,
memos, e- mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders,
logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in
any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can
be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in
force;
 "prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act by the
appropriate Government or the competent authority, as the case may be;
 "public authority" means any authority or body or institution of self-
government established or constituted—
(a) by or under the Constitution;
(b) by any other law made by Parliament;
(c) by any other law made by State Legislature;
(d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate
Government.
 "record" includes—
(a) any document, manuscript and file;
(b) any microfilm, microfiche and facsimile copy of a document;
(c) any reproduction of image or images embodied in such
microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and
(d) any other material produced by a computer or any other device;
 "right to information" means the right to information accessible under this
Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and
includes the right to—
(i) inspection of work, documents, records;
(ii) taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;
(iii) taking certified samples of material;
(iv) obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes,
video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where
such information is stored in a computer or in any other device;

 "State Chief Information Commissioner" and "State Information

Commissioner" mean the State Chief Information Commissioner and the
State Information Commissioner appointed under subsection (3) of section
15;
 "State Public Information Officer" means the State Public Information
Officer designated under sub-section (1) and includes a State Assistant
Public Information Officer designated as such under sub-section (2) of
section 5;
 "third party" means a person other than the citizen making a request for
information and includes a public authority.
Right to information and Obligations of public authorities

 All citizens shall have the right

 maintain all its records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the
form which facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that
all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a reasonable
time and subject to availability of resources, computerised and connected
through a network all over the country on different systems so that access to
such records is facilitated;
 Publish within one hundred and twenty days from the enactment of this Act,—
(i) the particulars of its organisation, functions and duties;

(ii) the powers and duties of its officers and employees;

(iii) the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of
supervision and accountability;
(iv) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions;
(v) the rules, regulations, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under
its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions;
(vi) a statement of the categories of documents that are held by it or under its control;
(vii) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with, or representation by, the members
of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof;
(viii) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons
constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards,
councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of such meetings are
accessible for public;
(ix) a directory of its officers and employees;

(x) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of
compensation as provided in its regulations;
(xi) the budget allocated to each of its agency, indicating the particulars of all plans, proposed
expenditures and reports on disbursements made;
(xii) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of
beneficiaries of such programmes;
(xiii) particulars of recipients of concessions, permits or authorisations granted by it; (xiv) details in respect
of the information, available to or held by it, reduced in an electronic form;
(xv) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours
of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use;
(xvi) the names, designations and other particulars of the Public Information Officers; (xvii) such other
information as may be prescribed; and thereafter update these publications every year;
 publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect
public;
Constitution of Central Information commissions

(1)The Central Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute

a body to be known as the Central Information Commission to exercise the
powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to, it under this
Act.

(2)The Central Information Commission shall consist of—

(a) the Chief Information Commissioner; and
(b) such number of Central Information Commissioners, not exceeding
ten, as may be deemed necessary.
(3) The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners shall be
appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of—
(i) the Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee; (ii)
the Leader of Opposition in the LokSabha; and
(iii) a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.
(4) The general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs
of the Central Information Commission shall vest in the Chief Information
Commissioner who shall be assisted by the Information Commissioners and
may exercise all such powers and do all such acts and things which may be
exercised or done by the Central Information Commission autonomously
without being subjected to directions by any other authority under this Act.
(5) The Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners
shall be persons of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and
experience in law, science and technology, social service, management,
journalism, mass media or administration and governance.
(6) The Chief Information Commissioner or an Information Commissioner
shall not be a Member of Parliament or Member of the Legislature of any
State or Union territory, as the case may be, or hold any other office of
profit or connected with any political party or carrying on any business or
pursuing any profession.
(7) The headquarters of the Central Information Commission shall be at
Delhi and the Central Information Commission may, with the previous
approval of the Central Government, establish offices at other places in
India.