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1. Right to Information Act, 2005
Sanghamitra

2. Focus
• Meaning
• Rationale
• Right to Information Act,2005

3. Meaning
• Freedom of people to have access to
government information.
• Openness and transparency in the
functioning of the government.
• In 1992, the World Bank released a document
entitled “Governance and Development” in
which it emphasized on transparency and
information.

4. Rationale
• Necessity of Right to Information:
• It makes administration more accountable to
the people.
• Reduces the gap between the administration
and the people.
• Makes people aware of administrative
decision-making
• Facilitates better delivery of goods and
services to people by civil servants.

5. Contd…
• Increases people’s participation in
administration
• Promotes public interest by discouraging
arbitrariness in administrative decision-
making
• Reduces the scope of corruption in public
administration
• Upholds democratic ideas by promoting
openness and transparency.

6. Contd…
• It makes administration more responsive to
the requirements of the people.
• It reduces the chance of abuse of authority by
the public servants.

7. Right to Information Act, 2005
• In 2005, the Parliament has enacted the Right
to Information Act.
• Provisions:
• It provides for the appointment of an
information officer in each department to
provide information to the public on request.
• It fixes a 30-day deadline to provide
information and 48 hours if concerns life or
liberty of a person.

8. Contd…
• Information will be free for people below poverty
line, for others fee will be reasonable.
• It imposes obligation on public agencies to
disclose the information suo- motu to reduce
requests for an information
• Government bodies have to publish details of
staff payments and budgets.
• It provides for the establishment of a Central
Information Commission and State Information
Commission to implement the provisions of the
Act.

9. Contd…
• They will be independent high-level bodies to act
as appellate authorities and vested with the
powers of a civil court.
• The President will appoint a Chief Information
Commissioner and Governors of the States will
appoint State Information Commissioners. Their
term will be 5 years.
• They are entitled with publishing annual report
on the implementation of the Act. The report will
be tabled before the Parliament and state
Legislature.

10. Contd…
• Its purview does not extend to intelligence
and security organization, like Intelligence
Bureau, RAW, BSF, CISF, NSG.
• However , information pertaining to allegation
of corruption or violation of human rights by
these organizations will not be excluded.

11. Contd…
• All categories of exempted information to be
disclosed after 20 years except Cabinet
deliberations and information that affects
security , strategic , scientific or economic
interests , relations with foreign states or
leads to incitement of offence.

12. Contd…
• It overrides the Official Secret Act, 1923. The
Information Commission can allow access to
the information if public interest outweighs
harm to protected persons.
• It carries strict penalties for failing to provide
information or affecting its flow. The erring
official will face the departmental
proceedings.