Right to Information Act 2005 definitions and applicability

The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 is An Act to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities, in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the constitution of a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

 The objective of the Right to Information Act:

The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the working of the Government, contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in a real sense. An informed citizen is better equipped to keep necessary vigil on the instruments of governance and make the government more accountable to the governed. The Act is a big step towards making the citizens informed about the activities of the Government.

What is Information?

Information is any material in any form. It includes records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, and data material held in any electronic form. It also includes information relating to any private body which can be accessed by the public authority under any law for the time being in force.

Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. It is an initiative taken by the Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a– RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs, etc. amongst others, besides access to RTI related information/disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the government of India as well as the State Governments

The RTI Act applies to all constitutional authorities, including the executive, legislature, and judiciary, as well as any institution or body established by an act of Parliament or a state legislature. The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 does not apply to Jammu and Kashmir. Instead, the Jammu & Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2009 is in force in Jammu and Kashmir.

The RTI Act does not apply to central intelligence and security agencies, or to other agencies that state governments exclude through a Gazette Notification. However, citizens can still request information about human rights violations from these excluded organizations, and they may be required to provide the information within 45 days.

Public authorities must respond to citizen requests for information expeditiously, or within 30 days. If the information is related to a petitioner’s life or liberty, the information must be provided within 48 hours.