Page 1 of 14
European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 06 Issue 04
April 2018
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 95
Right to Information Act- 2005- A step towards good governance
Ankush Mittal
L. L. M.
Dhrav Gupta
L.L.M. (Pursuing)
Introduction
Every man has an unforgivable and natural right. In a democratic country, every person
has the right to freedom of expression and expression. This right includes public opinion and the
right to receive and receive information and views from public officials. Available and
appropriate information helps the citizen to live a dignified life in civilized society. Apart from
this, there is a close relationship between the right to information and good governance. Good
governance is transparency, accountability and accountability. As a result, the right to
information of citizens is being recognized as an important mechanism for promoting openness,
transparency and accountability in the administration of the government. People are the only part
of the government's representative. That is why it is necessary for them to know all the
functioning of government activities in the administrative process to frame the practical
governance of good governance. In the absence of information on this issue, people cannot live a
dignified life and will remain marginalized in society. It is a powerful tool to protect people's
fundamental rights. Corruption and criminalization is the nerve of Indian bureaucracy today. The
privacy they have maintained is the source of corruption and harassment. Though India is the
world's largest democracy, but it is now unable to gain the confidence of ordinary people. As a
taxpayer, every person should have the right to know the functioning of the government
machinery. In addition, in a democratic country, a citizen can be considered property only when
the citizen develops skills to gain access to all types of information and develop effective
information for effective use. Without intellectual independence, the success of democratic rule
cannot be imagined. Information is now the sole of every government. To achieve the goal of
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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 06 Issue 04
April 2018
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 96
good governance becomes more important for transparency and efficiency in governance.
Thomas Anderson in his comment on the first amendment to the American Constitution stated
that society uses freedom of information and expression to protect certain values, which can be
divided into four broad categories. The first of these is assuring personal self-fulfillment, the
second set of values is focused on the means of achieving truth, the third address addresses a
method of securing the participation of the members in social and political decisions. The fourth
set of value wants to maintain a balance between stability and change in society. In the
international arena, the Right to Information has warmly welcomed and included various
international human rights documents. These documents, namely- the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights On regional Documents like the European Convention
and Right to Information Act for the protection of human rights: Good governance The key to
fundamental freedoms, the American Conference on the Rights of Human and People, includes
the right to information as a basic human rights. Of the 93 countries in the world who have taken
the right to informational information or freedom of information, four of them are in South Asia.
They are - Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The Indian Parliament implemented the
Parliament Freedom of Information Act, 2002 to promote transparency and accountability in the
administration. The National Common Minimum Program, the Report envisaged by the Freedom
of Information Act, 2002 and the Information Bill, 2004 (RTI) was passed by both the Houses of
Parliament in May 2005. To Right to Information Act was notified in the Gazette of India on
June 21, 2005. This new law gives Indian citizens the right to take any accessible information
from a public authority and makes the government and its officers are more accountable and
responsible.
History of Right to Information Act-2005
Some Landmarks in the Right to Information Act-2005
1975: Supreme Court of India rules that the people of India have a right to know.
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European Journal of Business &
Social Sciences
Available at https://ejbss.org/
ISSN: 2235-767X
Volume 06 Issue 04
April 2018
Available online: https://ejbss.org/ P a g e | 97
1982: Supreme Court rules that the right to information is a fundamental right.
1985: Intervention application in the Supreme Court by environmental NGOs following the
Bhopal gas tragedy, asking for access to information relating to environmental hazards.
1989: Election promise by the new coalition government to bring in a transparency law.
1990: Government falls before the transparency law can be introduced.
1990: Formation of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) in Rajasthan and the
launching of a movement demanding village level information.
1996: Formation of the National Campaign for People‘s Right to Information (NCPRI).
1996: Draft RTI bill prepared and sent to the government by NCPRI and other groups and
movements, with the support of the Press Council of India.
1997: Government refers the draft bill to a committee set up under the Chairmanship of HD
Shourie. 1997: The Shourie Committee submits its report to the government.
1999: A cabinet minister allows access to information in his ministry. Order reversed by PM.
2000: Case filed in the Supreme Court demanding the institutionalization of the RTI.
2000: Shourie Committee report referred to a Parliamentary Committee.
2001: Parliamentary Committee gives its recommendations
2002: Supreme Court gives ultimatum to the government regarding the right to information.
2002: Freedom of Information Act passed in both houses of Parliament.
2003: Gets Presidential assent, but is never notified.
2004: National elections announced, and the ―strengthening‖ of the RTI Act included in the
manifesto of the Congress Party.
