Right to Information (RTI) is an act of the Parliament of India which sets out the rules and procedures regarding citizens’ right to information. It replaced the former Freedom of Information Act, 2002. Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from a “public authority” (a body of Government or “instrumentality of State”) which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. In case of matter involving a petitioner’s life and liberty, the information has to be provided within 48 hours. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.
This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. Every day, over 4800 RTI applications are filed. In the first ten years of the commencement of the act over 17,500,000 applications had been filed.
RTI is a fundamental right for every citizen of India. The authorities under RTI Act 2005 are called quasi-judicial authorities. This act was enacted in order to consolidate the fundamental right in the Indian constitution ‘freedom of speech’.
Since RTI is implicit in the Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression under Article 19 of Indian Constitution, it is an implied fundamental right.
Information disclosure in India is restricted by the Official Secrets Act 1923 and various other special laws, which the new RTI Act relaxes. Right to Information codifies a fundamental right of the citizens of India. RTI has proven to be very useful, but is counteracted by the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2011.
The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, seeks to amend Sections 13, 16, and 27 of the RTI Act. Section 13 of the original Act: It sets the term of the central Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners at five years (or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier).
Objective of the Act
• To empower the citizens
• To promote transparency and accountability
• To contain corruption and
• To enhance people’s participation in democratic process.
Time limit
Under the provisions of RTI Act, any citizen of India may request information from a “public authority which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. In case of matter involving a petitioner’s life and liberty, the information has to be provided within 48 hours.
Sample of a RTI Application
To
The Central/Public Information Officer
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation R Central Ward,
Market road,
Borivali – West,
Mumbai – 400092.
Date: 1st June 2020
Subject: Request to furnish information under section 6(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005 on the Following questions/points.
Sir,
You are requested to furnish following information/documents.
1. Data of number of COVID-19 patients in the area of borivali.
2. Data of number of beds available for new COVID patients in the area of borivali.
3. Data of number of patients recovered till date in the area of borivali.
4. List of containment areas in borivali.
5. List of hospitals available for COVID treatment in the area of borivali.
6. Etc.
If the information is not available in your office, kindly forward to the concerned public authority as per section 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005.
I am a citizen of India and address is given below. Requisite RTI application fee for Rs.10/- is being remitted vide Indian Postal Order/ eIPO/ Bank Draft/ Cheque No………….. dated………………….. Is enclosed).
Yours sincerely,
_________________
(Name & Signature)
Postal Address:
Aishwarya Says:
I have always been against Glorifying Over Work and therefore, in the year 2021, I have decided to launch this campaign “Balancing Life”and talk about this wrong practice, that we have been following since last few years. I will be talking to and interviewing around 1 lakh people in the coming 2021 and publish their interview regarding their opinion on glamourising Over Work.
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