RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT (RTI)

The right to information act was introduced in 2005. This Act has been a revolution in including people in governance. It applies to all parts of India except Jammu and Kashmir(which is covered under a State level law and not a central one) . The Act provides that any citizen (including citizens of J&K) may request information form a public authority which is expected to reply within thirty days. The Central Information Commission was set up to over look the implantation of this act. Every government body was appointed a public information officer who was to reply to the filing of RTIs.

This Act is applied to all authorities: Judicial. Executive and Legislature

The Act specifies that citizens have a right to:

• request any information (as defined).
• take copies of documents.
• inspect documents, works and records.
• take certified samples of materials of work.
• obtain information in form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes 'or in any other electronic mode' or through printouts.

However there are a some exemptions of information mentioned in this Act. Here are some of them:

- Information that affects the sovereignty of the country and integrity of India- security and economic interests

- Information received in confidence from foreign government

- Information that would endanger the life of a person.

- cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers

n There are some government bodies that are also exempted- to name a few:

--- Raw, IB, CBI, CID, CRPF, CISF

RTI has bought on transparency into the government. One can now find out what happened to ones document and files which are being processed by the government or find out why is an area not getting water. People armed with this information can force official to change.

Due to the undying spirit of the people who are pushing to make more government institutions more transparency by bringing them under this Act. The judiciary has recently decided to exposes it assests, joining the cause of this Act. The Act is slowly getting more more institutions and post under it.