Citizen’s Right To Information Act Completes One Year

The Right to Information Act (RTI) completed one year, on Oct. 12, 2006. Ever since its introduction in the year 2005, the Act has generated a lot of discussion and debate regarding its fallout.

To mark the occasion, a three day national convention was held in New Delhi, in which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared that it would be the Government's "endeavour to strengthen the implementation of the Act in favour of genuine information seekers and the people."

Expressing satisfaction on the way people have responded to the Act, he stated that he was keen to ensure that RTI did not remain the privilege of a few.

The right to information is regarded all over the world as a human right. It has also been incorporated as part of the Fundamental Rights in the Indian Constitution. However, in the Indian context, the right has largely remained on paper only and has never been duly enforced.

For the first time, an effort was made to make the functioning of the governing bodies or public authorities more responsible, accountable and transparent. The Act also includes in its gamut private bodies substantially funded by the Government.

The Act which covers the whole of India, excluding the state of Jammu and Kashmir, confers on the Indian citizens, certain exclusive powers never enjoyed before.

With this Act, any Indian citizen can demand information in the form of print-out, tapes, video cassettes and the like, from those covered under the Act.

The applicant is to receive the requested information 30 days from the date of application, failing which one can submit an appeal to a senior officer such as the Central Public Information Officer.

The Act has brought along with it many advantages. Some of the important ones are that it enables the Indian citizens to participate in the functioning of the country actively. It can also prevent misappropriation of funds and mismanagement by various institutions.

The Act is aimed at serving as a watch-dog, keeping the public officials on their toes, so that they discharge their duties in a responsible manner. The Act can also come in handy for researchers who now have access to vital information, which was not at their disposal earlier. The information obtained can be used by activists for the betterment of the poor and the needy.

While one can cite numerous benefits of this Act, it has its negative implications also, which one cannot afford to overlook. The Act has not made it mandatory for the applicant to state his/her reasons for request of information by any public authority.

In this manner any person can send an application for obtaining information to fulfill his or her whims thus eating away the time and energy of the official who could have utilized the time spent in a more fruitful manner.

The Act can also be grossly misused by someone who has grievances against a particular institution and can unnecessarily bother them under the pretext of Right to Information.

In this way, the Act becomes like a double-edged sword which can be used for the better or for the worse, but the decision solely depends on the sensibilities of the Indian citizens.