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RTI Act : Is it fulfilling the Purpose ?

JUDICIARY
20 Dec, 2022

NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Theme : Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies.
Paper:GS - 2

The Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed by Parliament in 2005, aiming to give people access to the records of the Central and State

TABLE OF CONTENT

  1. Context
  2. RTI Act
  3. Objectives of RTI
  4. Reasons for Adoption of Information Act
  5. Major Issues
  6. Road Ahead

Context : The Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed by Parliament in 2005, aiming to give people access to the records of the Central and State

RTI Act : 

Objectives of RTI : 

  • To empower the citizens
  • To promote transparency and accountability
  • To contain corruption and
  • To enhance people’s participation in democratic process.

Reasons for Adoption of Information Act : 

The factors responsible for adoption of information act are as follows-

  • Corruption and scandals
  • International pressure and activism
  • Modernization and the information society

Major Issues : 

  • Lack of awareness of this law and lack of widespread adoption.
  • Some States with an RTI application within 150 words: Condensing the question, especially for those who might not have the benefit of a formal education.
  • Public information officers: use words like this division does not have the information.
  • Under RTI Act: liability is on the officer to find out who is holding the information and transfer the RTI application.
  • Large number of denials where people are just told that this information cannot be provided to you, which is an illegal denial.
  • Within the government: asking for information is not encouraged
  • maintaining datasets and information: putting information in the public domain has become a big problem.
  • Example: During COVID-19, when the government was asked how many people lost their lives due to lack of oxygen, about the number of migrant workers, on all of that the government said, we don’t have any data.

Road Ahead : 

  • Despite threats, attacks and murders of RTI users: people are still using the law extensively, which testifies to the fact that it’s something that they find very powerful.
  • The Data Protection Bill: It will set up a system of amending the RTI law in a manner that all personal information will be exempted.
  • There is granular information that is put up saying this is the name of the person, [these are] the rations that they are being given, their address, so as to enable a social audit in order to put pressure on the government and hold them accountable.
  • The Right to Information Act: It was made to achieve social justice, transparency and to make government accountable but this act has not achieved its full objectives due to some impediments created due to systematic failures.

FAQs : 

  1. What is the RTI Act?

ANS. The Right to Information (RTI) Act was passed by Parliament in 2005, aiming to give people access to the records of the Central and State.

  1. What are the factors responsible for adoption of the Information Act?

ANS. The factors responsible for adoption of information act are as follows-

  • Corruption and scandals
  • International pressure and activism
  • Modernization and the information society