A REPORT ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005

AUTHOR – DISHA SINGHAL, STUDENT AT SYMBIOSIS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY, PUNE

BEST CITATION – DISHA SINGHAL, A REPORT ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 4 (4) OF 2024, PG. 969-976, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

ABSTRACT

The Right to Information Act, 2005, is a landmark legislation in the democratic landscape of India, marking a great leap in the perspective of transparency and accountability within public administration. This article reflects on the history and development of the Right to Information. It points out the impact of such an act in bridging the gap between the government and citizens, as such participation by citizens was instrumental in questioning, auditing, and reviewing governmental decisions. In doing so, the Act empowers citizens not only to fight corruption and inefficiencies but also to clean opaque governance practices. The paper would further probe landmark judicial pronouncements that have structured the RTI landscape and take a look at the challenges and setbacks that the RTI movement has faced in the form of harassment and violence against activists. However, the Act still faces such challenges as poor record-keeping, inadequate staffing, and lack of awareness. Quoting the conclusion from the article, “Institutional supports, governance frameworks, and stronger protections for RTI activists would provide a thylacine momentum to renew the initiative and ensure it remains relevant in strengthening democracy in India.”

Keywords: Right to Information, Good Governance, Transparency, Administration, Accountability, Government