Question

What is the significance of the Right to Information Act, 2005 to the citizens of India? Read some reports in newspapers and magazines and share the story that has appealed to you the most ?​

Answer 1

Answer:

The right to information is a fundamental right under Article 19 (1) of the Indian Constitution. In 1976, in the Raj Narain vs the State of Uttar Pradesh case, the Supreme Court ruled that Right to information will be treated as a fundamental right under article 19. The Supreme Court held that in Indian democracy, people are the masters and they have the right to know about the working of the government.

Thus the government enacted the Right to Information act in 2005 which provides machinery for exercising this fundamental right.

Significance:

The RTI Act, 2005 empowers the citizen to question the secrecy and abuse of power practised in governance.

It is through the information commissions at the central and state levels that access to such information is provided.

RTI information can be regarded as a public good, for it is relevant to the interests of citizens and is a crucial pillar for the functioning of a transparent and vibrant democracy.

The information obtained not only helps in making government accountable but also useful for other purposes which would serve the overall interests of the society.

Every year, around six million applications are filed under the RTI Act, making it the most extensively used sunshine legislation globally.

These applications seek information on a range of issues, from holding the government accountable for the delivery of basic rights and entitlements to questioning the highest offices of the country.

Using the RTI Act, people have sought information that governments would not like to reveal as it may expose corruption, human rights violations, and wrongdoings by the state.

The access to information about policies, decisions and actions of the government that affect the lives of citizens is an instrument to ensure accountability.

The Supreme Court has, in several judgments, held that the RTI is a fundamental right flowing from Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee to citizens the freedom of speech and expression and the right to life, respectively.

LATEST RTI reports:-

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/RTI-Act

Hope this helps.