DECLARATION

PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
CERTIFICATE
TABLE OF CONTENT
 CHAPTER -1
INTRODUCTION
In a democracy, public authorities share information with the public, but not
all information should be made public. The Right to Information Act 2003 recognizes the
importance of informed citizens and transparency in democracy, but also acknowledges the
potential conflicts with other public interests. The flow of information should be controlled,
similar to tap water, with the Information Commissions (State and Central) holding great
power. However, this power is not plenary, unrestricted, limitless, or unguided. Both the right
to information listed in Part III of the Constitution. They impact the enjoyment of fundamental
rights by requiring the enforcement of legislation. Regulations can either limit enjoyment
within the bounds of the constitution or offer a free and orderly means of exercising these
rights. These clauses are designed to make sure that promised fundamental rights can be
obtained easily and without difficulty.
The ancient Upanishad doctrine of "Satyam Vadha, Dharma Charha" in
India incorporates the necessity of stating the truth. This idea is further supported by the
Government of India's motto, "Satyameva Jayate" (only the truth triumphs, nothing else does).
"Transparency" refers to the absence of secrecy and the knowledge of the actual situation.
Since transparency, or sunshine, is the best cure to corruption, it is emphasized in the context
of combating corruption. In ancient India, the idea of Dharma was used to express the idea of
openness in governmental operations.
One of the most well-liked, progressive, and ambitious laws in Indian
political and administrative history is the Right to Information Act of 2005. The United
Progressive Alliance-1 (UPA) government, led by Prime Minister Dr. M. Manmohan Singh,
passed the Right to Information Act in 2005 (14th Loka Sabha). India's residents are protected
from administrative corruption and inconsistent or incorrect administration by the Right to
Information Act. This statute gives the general public access to information about
governmental and administrative operations, programs, and processes. The right to view
works, papers, and records is one of the rights to information under section 2(j) of the Act.
• make certified copies, notes, or extracts from records or documents.
• collect certified material samples.
• acquire information via printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes, or any other
electronic media.
 People should be able to hold the government accountable under a popular
democracy. As a result, upon request, the government makes information on documents, files,
and samples available to the public. According to the Supreme Court's ruling in Raj Narayan
v. Uttar Pradesh Government, the right to information is a basic right guaranteed by article
19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution's third section. The Right to Information Act ushers in a
new era in the political history of the Indian democratic republic.
The RTI Act's provisions, which grant citizens the right to information, are
rules that essentially restrict the freedom of speech by placing limitations on the right to
information and the right to access information. The constitutional touchstones must be
addressed for any such restriction to be deemed legitimate. Article 19(2) of the Constitution
grants and regulates the power to impose such restrictions. The aforementioned clause lists the
justifications for legal restrictions on people' fundamental right to free speech and expression.
Lawmakers are only permitted to enact laws that reasonably restrict that
fundamental right when doing so serves India's sovereignty and integrity, security, friendly
relations with other nations, public order, decency or morality, or in connection with contempt
of court, defamation, or incitement to crime. Clause (2) of Article 19 does not state the public
interest as a basis for restricting the right to freedom of speech and expression, in contrast to
clause (6) of that Article, which lays out the bounds of legislative permissiveness to impose
restrictions on the fundamental right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation,
trade, or business.
In its most limited definition, the right to information refers to the ability to
obtain information from public entities. It covers the right to view documents pertaining to
meetings, procedures, decisions, orders, notifications, entries in government files and
registers, accountbooks, notices, regulations, and maps. data, work site drawings, etc. In its
widest definition, it encompasses the right to obtain information from both public and private
organizations that manage, own, or hold it. It essentially grants this freedom to everyone, not
just citizens. individuals, organizations, and outsiders. This right encompasses the entire
world, including faceless multinational businesses and transnational enterprises, and is not
limited to national borders.
The right to information has three dimensions:
(a) Press freedom and information
(b) The public's right to know.
(c) Notifying competitors or other interested parties
 The democratic system is inherently based on the idea of the right to
information. established itself; therefore, there is no need to link it to the Constitution or any
other relevant laws. The fundamental idea behind the legislation pertaining to "Access to
Information" is to alter people's perspectives. When people are in control, they cannot be kept
in the dark by politicians, bureaucrats, or servants. The foundation of an open and transparent
government is to empower the average citizen to demand justice, to be aware of the decisions
being taken, to oversee their execution, and to evaluate the bureaucracy's [Link]
only information that can be kept private from the public is that which would not be beneficial
to them personally. The Indian Constitution's Article 19(2) reflects these exceptions.

DEFINITION
The word "information" comes from the Latin terms "formation" and "forma,"
which signify giving things shape and creating a pattern. "Information" broadens our
perspective and eliminates the ambiguity of our concepts. As former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee once said, "The Government wants to share power with the humblest; it
wants to empower the weakest." Knowledge is power. This is the exact reason why everyone
must have access to the right to information.
Information is defined as any material in any form under section 2(f) of the Act,
including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars,
orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material stored in any
electronic form, and information about any private entity that a public authority may access
under any other active law.
The right to information encompasses more than just having access to Xerox
copies of official documents or records. The right to inspect work, documents, and records is a
component of the right to information. Another crucial component of the right to knowledge is
the ability to examine government operations. Citizens can thus directly see government
operations to guarantee accountability in the execution of welfare initiatives. Additionally,
this right specifies that the ability to examine documents is separate from the ability to obtain
copies of those papers. The Act further stipulates that a citizen may take notes or even request
certified copies of the information when reviewing documents and records. Furthermore,
'Samples' of material are also included. Information is available as electronic soft copy, such
as on CDs or pen drives, as well as hard copy.
 Everyone has a right to information access. The RTI A offers the right to access
information to all citizens of the count', and not every [Link] the passage of the
RTI Act, confidentiality is the exception and access to information is the rule. The Act
exempts a certain category of information. All public entities can use the information that has
been properly provided. Public officers are required by the RTI to help the requestor
reasonably in submitting his application, which includes putting any spoken request for
information in writing.

Literature review
These were several studies on RTI earlier few of them are:
1. In his 2013 book "Right to Information in India," Sudhir Naib provides a brief
overview and critique. The development of this historic Act, the methods used to obtain
information, the obligations of information providers, and the types of information that are not
required to be disclosed. a thorough comparison of the laws in different parts of the world.
The book highlights the RTI Act's advantages and disadvantages, shares success stories, and
makes policy recommendations to enhance its application.

2. In his 2009 book "The Right to Information: A Global Perspective," K M Srivatsava

attempted to present a worldwide perspective on the right to information. The book offers a
thorough analysis of RTI in both industrialized nations like the United States and the United
Kingdom as well as India. He provides a summary of the RTI and information freedom
concepts.

3. The RTI Act, according to Mandakini Devasha Suries' 2011 article "RTI in India: An
Effective Tool to Tackle Corruption," is the most basic law our nation has ever seen
because it can be applied to everything from ration shops to 2 G scams, from nondescript
villages to Parliament, and from local Panchayats to Parliament. In their paper titled RTI ACT
2005 aims, problems, and suggestions, P.K. Saini and R.K. Gupta have addressed obstacles to
the successful implementation of the RTI Act.

4. Alasdair Roberts' book "The Right to Information Act: A Catalyst for

Transparency" (2006) Roberts investigates how RTI laws have changed in many nations and
how they support democracy, accountability, and openness. The paper highlights how these
laws can improve civic engagement and reduce corruption. It also talks about implementation
issues such lack of public knowledge, cultural hurdles, and bureaucratic opposition.
5. Aruna Roy and Nikhil Dey's article "Transparency and Accountability Through the
RTI Act in India" (2010) , Roy and Dey explore the Indian Right to Information Act of 2005
and how it came to be used as a weapon for citizen empowerment. The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti
Sangathan (MKSS), which was instrumental in promoting the law, is one of the grassroots
movements that the writers highlight. They give examples of how RTI has been applied in the
real world to reveal inefficiencies and corruption in government programs.

India has always prided itself on being the biggest democracy, but since
the Right to Information Act of 2005 was passed, it has also developed into an accountable,
participatory, and engaging democracy. With the exception of the state of Jammu and
Kashmir, the entire country is covered by this Act. After a quick and drawn-out debate, the
Parliament approved the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Dr. M.
Manamohan Singh.3. The RTI Act eventually replaced the prior Freedom of Information Act
of 2002, which had the President of India's approval but failed to notify anyone. It went into
effect on October 12, 2005, and Mr. Shahid Raza Burney filed the first RTI application at the
Pune Police Station on the same day.
The idea of the right to information began to take shape in the 1970s when
the judiciary liberally interpreted several fundamental rights, particularly the right to free
speech and expression. The Supreme Court's majority ruling in the 1973 case of Bennete
Coleman and co. v. Union of India said that "freedom of speech and expression includes
within it the right of all citizens to read and be informed." The Supreme Court of India ruled
in a case in 1975 amid a national emergency that everyone had the right to obtain information.
The point was reiterated in the 1981 court ruling in Manubhai Shah versus Life Insurance
Corporation of India (LIC).
The fundamental goal of freedom of speech and expression is to allow
everyone to freely form their opinions and share them with others. In conclusion, the people's
right to know is the basic idea at play here. Numerous cases have supported transparency and
the disclosure of government information. People had to knock on court doors each time they
wished to use this right because there was unclear legislation on the subject. Courts have
nearly always had a favorable response. However, due to their own limitations, this course
only applied enforcement to those who were knowledgeable and read.
 Even PIL was a tool that only a select few privileged people could use,
and the average citizen lacked the resources, time, and desire to engage in a complex legal
process. The brave and strong grassroots fight of the rural poor against widespread corruption
in famine relief efforts gave the RTI movement a new lease on life. Mazdoor Kisan Shakti
Sangathan (MKSS) spearheaded this fight. The fallout from this battle sparked a national call
for legislation that would ensure that every citizen has access to the RTI.