Key Terms & Concepts — UPSC Mains
Right to Information (RTI)
"The legal right of citizens to access information held by public authorities, derived from Article 19(1)(a)"
The Right to Information Act, 2005 operationalises the fundamental right to information derived from Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution (freedom of speech and expression). It enables any citizen to request information from a 'public authority' — which must respond within 30 days (48 hours if life/liberty is at stake). The Act created a three-tier system: PIOs (Public Information Officers), First Appellate Authorities, and Information Commissions (State and Central) as independent adjudicators.
RTI is called 'the master key that opens many locks of governance'. UPSC tests it under GS2 (governance, transparency, accountability). The 2019 RTI Amendment Act that affected CIC/SIC tenure is a significant recent development.
- 1 RTI Act enacted: June 15, 2005; effective October 12, 2005
- 2 Constitutional basis: Article 19(1)(a) (Freedom of Expression) — affirmed in SP Gupta case (1981)
- 3 30-day response deadline; 48-hour if life/liberty involved
- 4 Public authority includes: Central/state govt bodies, constitutional bodies, entities substantially financed by government
- 5 Exemptions (Section 8): National security, cabinet deliberations, third-party commercial secrets, personal info, parliamentary privilege
- 6 RTI does NOT apply to: Intelligence and security organisations (Schedule II: IB, RAW, NTRO, CBI etc.) — but info on corruption/human rights violations still accessible
- 7 RTI (Amendment) Act 2019: CIC/SIC tenure changed from fixed 5 years to government-determined; critics say it compromises independence
- 8 PIO: First point of contact; CPIO at central level
- 9 CIC (Chief Information Commissioner): Apex authority for RTI appeals at Centre
- 10 India's RTI Act rated among world's best in terms of scope (by Access Info Europe)
A journalist used RTI to obtain procurement records showing irregularities in a municipal road contract — illustrating how RTI serves as the primary tool of investigative journalism and citizen oversight in India.