faqs on rti act

7/23/2019 FAQs on RTI Act

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN

RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT-2005N.VIJAYARAJ

Advocate, Madras High CourtCell: 9884442080

When did Righ T! In"!#$%i!n A& &!$e in! "!#&e'

The Central Right to Information Act came into force on the 12th October, 2005.However, before that 9 tate !overnment ha" #ae" tate Act. Thee were $ % &,'elhi, Ra(athan, )a"h*a +ra"eh, )aharahtra, &arnataa, Tamil -a", Aam %!oa.

Te(( $e %)!* he A++(i&%)i(i, !" he A&'

The Central RTI Act e/ten" to the whole of In"ia e/ce#t the tate of $amm an"

&ahmir. The Act a##lie both to Central an" tate !overnment an" all #blicathoritie. A #blic athorit* ec. 2h which i bon" to frnih information meanan* athorit* or bo"* or intittion of elf3government etablihe" or contitte" a b*or n"er the Contittion, b b* an* other law ma"e b* +arliament, c b* an* otherlaw ma"e b* tate 4egilatre, " b* a notification ie" or or"er ma"e b* thea##ro#riate !overnment an" incl"e an* i bo"* owne", controlle" or btantiall*finance", ii non3government organiation btantiall* finance" 3 which, in clae ato " are all, "irectl* or in"irectl* fn"e" b* the a##ro#riate !overnment.

Wh% i in"!#$%i!n'

ection 2 f of the Act6 7information7 mean an* material in an* form, incl"ing recor","ocment, memo, e3mail, o#inion, a"vice, #re releae, circlar, or"er,logboo, contract, re#ort, #a#er, am#le, mo"el, "ata material hel" in an*electronic form an" information relating to an* #rivate bo"* which can be accee" b*a #blic athorit* n"er an* other law for the time being in force8

Wh% d!e #igh ! In"!#$%i!n $e%n'

.It incl"e the right to 3i. In#ect wor, "ocment, an" recor".ii. Tae note, e/tract or certifie" co#ie of "ocment or recor".

iii. Tae certifie" am#le of material.iv. Obtain in form of #rintot, "iette, flo##ie, ta#e, vi"eo caette or in an* otherelectronic mo"e or throgh #rintot. .2 (:.

I he#e %n, +#!/ii!n "!# $%inen%n&e %nd +*)(i&%i!n !" #e&!#d in he %&'

ec. ; mae it a "t* of #blic athoritie to maintain recor" for ea* acce an" to#blih within 120 "a* the name of the #articlar officer who hol" give theinformation an" in regar" to the framing of the rle, reglation etc. bection


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-o. ec 22 of the RTI Act 2005 clearl* a* that RTI Act wol" over ri"e all e/itingAct incl"ing Official ecret Act.

D!e he A& +#!/ide "!# +%#i%( di&(!*#e'

=e. >n"er ection 10 of the RTI Act, acce ma* be #rovi"e" to that #art of the recor"which "oe not contain information which i e/em#t from "iclore n"er thi Act.

C%n %&&e )e denied ! "i(e n!ing'

-o. ?ile noting are an integral #art of the government file an" are b(ect to "icloren"er the Act. Thi ha been clarifie" b* the Central Information Commiion in one ofit or"er on


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Thi wol" be treate" a if *o have "e#oite" the fee. =o can then "e#oit *ora##lication either b* #ot or b* han".H!7 &%n I de+!i $, %++(i&%i!n "ee'

Ever* tate ha a "ifferent mo"e of #a*ment for a##lication fee. !enerall*, *o can"e#oit *or a##lication fee via6

In #eron b* #a*ing cah remember to tae *or recei#t:

F* +ot throgh6

'eman" 'raft

In"ian +otal Or"er

)one* or"er onl* in ome tate

Affi/ing Cort fee tam# onl* in ome tate

FanerG Chee

Righ ! In"!#$%i!n i %n A)!(*e Righ'

A no right can be abolte, the Right to Information ha to have it limitation. Therewill alwa* be area of information that hol" remain #rotecte" in #blic an" nationalinteret. )oreover, thi nretricte" right can have an a"vere effect of an overloa" of"eman" on a"minitration. o the information ha to be the #ro#erl*, clearl* claifie"b* an a##ro#riate athorit*.

The al e/em#tion #ermitting !overnment to with hol" acce to information igenerall* in re#ect of the thee matter81 International relation an" national ecrit*

2 4aw enforcement an" #revention of crime


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'raft *or a##lication on a normal heet of #a#er an" bmit it b* #ot or in #eron tothe +blic Information Officer +IO. Remember to ee# a co#* of the a##lication for*or #eronal reference:

I he#e % i$e (i$i ! #e&ei/ing in"!#$%i!n'

=e. If *o file *or a##lication with the +IO, *o mt receive information within


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In h!7 $%n, d%, &%n I "i(e $, "i# %++e%('

=o can file *or firt a##eal within


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In +eo#le >nion for Civil 4ibertie v. >nion of In"ia , the #reme Cort oberve" thatRight of information i a facet of the free"om of J#eech an" e/#reionG a containe"in Article 191a of the Contittion of In"ia. Right of information, th, in"i#tabl* ia fn"amental right.

I" RTI i % "*nd%$en%( #igh; hen 7h, d! 7e need %n A& ! gi/e * hi #igh'

Thi i becae if *o went to an* !overnment 'e#artment an" tol" the officer there,KRTI i m* fn"amental right, an" that I am the mater of thi contr*. Therefore,#leae how me all *or fileL, he wol" not "o that. In all #robabilit*, he wol" throw*o ot of hi room. Therefore, we nee" a machiner* or a #roce throgh which wecan e/ercie thi fn"amental right. Right to Information Act 2005, which becameeffective on 1


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#romie of em#owering Citien to get accontabilit* an" act a an enforcer of goo"governance.

C%n1 +e!+(e )(%&8$%i( g!/e#n$en e#/%n ), !)%ining in"!#$%i!n'

4et a orelve N what "oe RTI "o It (t bring trth in #blic "omain. It "oenot create an* information. It (t remove crtain an" bring trth in #blic "omain. Ithat ba" Dhen can it be mie" Onl* if an officer ha "one omething wrong an" ifthat information come ot in #blic. I it ba" that wrong"oing within the !overnmenthol" become #blic an" be e/#oe" rather than ee#ing it n"er wra#. =e, oncech information i obtaine" b* omeone, he col" go an" blacmail that officer. Ftwh* "o we wih to #rotect wrong officer. If an* officer i blacmaile", heBhe hao#tion available n"er In"ian +enal Co"e to go regiter an ?IR againt a blacmailer.4et that officer "o that. However, we can even avoi" the #oibilit* of an* in"ivi"alofficer from being blacmaile" b* an* in"ivi"al com#lainant b* #tting all information,oght b* an* a##licant, on the webite. An a##licant i able to blacmail an officer

onl* when that a##licant i the onl* #eron who obtaine" that information an" threatento mae that #blic. Ft if all information oght b* him were to be #t on webite, the#oibilit* of blacmail wol" be btantiall* re"ce".

W!n1 G!/e#n$en ge "(!!ded 7ih RTI %++(i&%i!n %nd 7!n1 i have realie" it an" are alrea"* #en"ing hge reorce tomae their government tran#arent. ?irtl*, all the cot #ent on RTI get more thanrecovere" the ame *ear b* the amont of mone* that the !overnment ave "e tore"ction in corr#tion an" mal#ractice. ?or intance, there i trong evi"ence to howhow leaage in "roght relief #rogram in Ra(athan an" +blic 'itribtion *tem in

'elhi btantiall* re"ce" "e to e/tenive e of RTI.

econ"l*, RTI i ver* eential for "emocrac*. It i a #art of or fn"amental right. ?or#eo#le to #artici#ate in governance, the #re3reiite i that the* firt now what igoing on. o, (t the wa* we treat all e/#ene ma"e on the rnning of or +arliamenta eential, we have to treat all e/#ene ma"e in the im#lementation of RTI aeential.

In #e%(i, +e!+(e "i(e %++(i&%i!n ! e(e +e#!n%( &!#e e&' I i T#*e'

RTI im#l* bring trth in #blic "omain. It "oe not create information. An* attem#t athi"ing trth or #tting a cover over it i not in the bet interet of ociet*. Rather thanerving an* efl #r#oe, an* attem#t at #romoting ecrec* wol" onl* increae theco#e for corr#tion an" wrong"oing. Therefore, or entire effort hol" be to maegovernance com#letel* tran#arent. However, if an*one blacmail omeonebeentl*, there are am#le #roviion n"er law to a""re that. econ"l*, thereare fficient afegar" n"er ec of RTI Act. It tate that an* information, whichrelate to #rivate affair of an* in"ivi"al an" ha no #blic interet wol" not be"icloe". Therefore, the e/iting law have fficient #roviion available to a""regenine concern of the #eo#le.

H!7 ! %/!id +e!+(e "#!$ "i(ing "#i/!(!* %++(i&%i!n'


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THERE I -O ?RIPO4O> A++4ICATIO-. Dhat i frivolo )* #en"ing waterconnection col" be the mot critical ie for me, bt it col" be treate" a frivolo b*a breacrat. ome vete" interet within the breacrac* have raie" thi boge* offrivolo a##lication. Right now, RTI Act "oe not #ermit an* a##lication to be re(ecte"on the gron" that it wa frivolo. Ft ome ection of breacrac* want the +IO to be

em#owere" to re(ect an* a##lication if he feel that it wa frivolo. If that ha##en,ever* +IO will "eclare ever* other a##lication to be frivolo an" re(ect it. It wol"mean a "eath nell to RTI.

M%n, *gge h% Fi(e n!ing h!*(d n! )e $%de +*)(i& % h% 7!*(d +#e/enh!ne !""i&e# "#!$ #ende#ing h!ne %d/i&e' I i #igh'

Thi i wrong. On the contrar*, ever* officer wol" now now that whatever he writeon the file wol" be b(ect to #blic crtin*. Thi wol" force him to write thing whichare in bet #blic interet. ome honet breacrat have a"mitte" in #rivate that RTIha hel#e" them immenel* in war"ing off #olitical an" other n"e inflence. -ow,

the officer im#l* a* that if the* "i" the wrong thing, the* might get e/#oe" ifomeone ae" for that information. Therefore, officer have tarte" initing that theenior gave "irection in writing. The !overnment i learnt to be contem#latingremoving file noting from the #rview of RTI Act. ?or the above reaon, it iaboltel* eential that file noting hol" be allowe" to be covere" n"er RTI Act.

G!/e#n$en #e&!#d %#e n! in +#!+e# h%+e> H!7 &!*(d RTI )e i$+(e$ened'

RTI wol" force the *tem to tart maintaining recor" #ro#erl* now. Ele the officialwol" face a #enalt* n"er the Act

!in !* !$e C#ii&i$; +#!)(e$ %nd (i$i%i!n in RTI A& 2005'

The Act ha been criticie" on everal gron". It #rovi"e for information on "eman",o to #ea, bt "oe not fficientl* tre information on matter relate" to foo",water, environment an" other rvival nee" that mt be given #ro3activel*, or omoto, b* #blic athoritie. The Act "oe not em#haie active intervention ine"cating #eo#le abot their right to acce information 33 vital in a contr* with highlevel of illiterac* an" #overt* 33 or the #romotion of a cltre of o#enne within officialtrctre. Dithot wi"e#rea" e"cation an" awarene abot the #oibilitie n"erthe new Act, it col" (t remain on #a#er. The Act alo reinforce the controlling role ofthe government official, who retain wi"e "icretionar* #ower to withhol" information.

The mot cathing in"ictment of the Fill ha come from critic who foc on thewee#ing e/em#tion it #ermit. Retriction on information relating to ecrit*, foreign#olic*, "efence, law enforcement an" #blic afet* are tan"ar". Ft the Right toInformation Act alo e/cl"e Cabinet #a#er, incl"ing recor" of the concil ofminiter, ecretarie an" other official, thi effectivel* hiel" the whole #roce of"eciion3maing from man"ator* "iclore.

Another tringent criticim of the Act i the recent amen"ment that wa to be ma"eallowing for file noting e/ce#t thoe relate" to ocial an" "evelo#ment #ro(ect to bee/em#te" from the #rview of the Act. ?ile noting are ver* im#ortant when it come tothe #olic* maing of the government. It i thee note that hol" the rationale behin"action or the change in certain #olic*, wh* a certain contract i given or wh* a anctionwa withhel" to #roecte a corr#t official. Therefore the governmentG intention toe/em#t the file noting from the #rview of the Act ha come in for tringent criticim.

)an* minitrie an" "e#artment of the !overnment of In"ia eem to have a##ointe"mlti#le #blic information officer +IO. Thi relt in citien having to rn fromoffice to office eeing ot the correct +IO N ometime in vain.

There are alo #roblem regar"ing #eo#leG acce to +IO. In man* "e#artment the+IO can onl* be met after a ecrit* #a ha been obtaine". However, in cae the +IOi not in hiBher eat, the ecrit* "e "oe not ie a #a. Therefore, #eo#le haveto ometime wait for hor till the +IO retrn to hiBher eat.


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Whehe# he A& i 7!#8ing +#!+e#(,'

There have been man* goo" law in thi contr* bt none of thoe law wore". Dh*"o *o thin thi law wol" wor Thi law i alrea"* woring. Thi i becae for thefirt time in the hitor* of in"e#en"ent In"ia, there i a law which cat a "irect

accontabilit* on the officer for non3#erformance. If concerne" officer "oe not #rovi"einformation in time, a #enalt* of R 250 #er "a* of "ela* can be im#oe" b* theInformation Commiioner. If the information #rovi"e" i fale, a #enalt* of a ma/immof R. 25000 can be im#oe". A #enalt* can alo be im#oe" for #rovi"ing incom#leteor for re(ecting *or a##lication for malafi"e reaon. Thi fine i "e"cte" from theofficerG #eronal alar*.

Wh% i he i$+%& %nd igni"i&%n&e !" he RTI A&'

The RTI Act, 2005 i the clmination of re#one generate" at "ifferent corner of thecontr* incl"ing the !overnment at the Centre, to #eo#leM "eman" for right to now

initiate" b* vario organiation. ince $ne 2005, when Right to Information Act, wa#ae", it ha been haile" a the hallmar of "emocrac* for the reaon that it #r#ortto mae, a regar" government information, "iclore the norm an" ecrec* a thee/ce#tion. E/#ert feel that a the Act aim at maing the government tran#arent an"more accontable, the effective e of it wol", in a long rn, crb corr#tion. The "ateof 12th October, 2005 hall be remembere" a a new era of em#owerment for thecommon man in In"ia. Dith the #aing of the Right of Information Act on the aforeai""ate, a facele citien i now blee" with a tool with the hel# of which he can now"eman" from the high an" might* in the government to now the "etail of ever* actionthe* tae, #rofee"l* on behalf of the #eo#le.

It ha taen In"ia 2 *ear to tranition from an o#ae *tem of governance,legitimie" b* the colonial Official ecret Act, to one where citien can "eman" theright to information. The enactment of the Right to Information Act 2005 mar aignificant hift for In"ian "emocrac*, for the greater the acce of citien toinformation, the greater will be the re#onivene of government to commnit* nee".F* enacting the Right to Information Act In"ia ha move" from an o#ae an" arbitrar**tem of government to the beginning of an era where there will be greatertran#arenc* an" to a *tem where the citien will be em#owere" an" the tre centerof #ower. Onl* b* em#owering the or"inar* citien can an* nation #rogre towar"greatne an" b* enacting the Right to Information Act 2005 In"ia ha taen a mallbt ignificant te# towar" that goal.

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