RTI Act - Right to Information Act

The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, is a landmark legislation empowering Indian citizens with a fundamental right to access information held by public authorities. Any Indian citizen can file RTI applications to obtain government records, documents, policy decisions, and decision-making processes of ministries, departments, and local bodies. Information requests must be filed with the designated Public Information Officer (PIO) of the respective government body. Applicants submit a written RTI application (offline or online through dedicated portals) specifying the information sought. The application fee is Rs. 10 (payment through demand draft, bank transfer, or online payment options). The government body must acknowledge the RTI application and provide information within 30 days; extendable to 45 days for sensitive information with approval. If information is denied, the applicant receives a written explanation citing specific exemptions under the Act. Information exemptions include: national security and defense matters, personal privacy (name, address, phone of individuals), ongoing investigations, cabinet discussions and advice to ministers, and commercial secrets. Applicants dissatisfied with the response can appeal to the First Appellate Authority (typically a senior official) within 30 days, followed by appeal to the Chief Information Commissioner if necessary. The transparency enabled by RTI has exposed government corruption, inefficiency, and facilitated citizen accountability. Misuse of RTI for harassment (filing excessive applications to obstruct functioning) can result in fees being charged to the applicant. A critical pitfall: many government bodies delay RTI compliance or provide incomplete/inaccurate information; applicants must follow up and appeal if needed. Additionally, information in vernacular languages may not be available; applicants may need to request translations.