Flow of The Presentation.

Need for the act. Background. Purpose to be served. What is RTI / Definition / Information. RTI in other countries. Obligations of Public Authorities. PIOs and duties. Information Commission & functions. CIC. RTI Application.

Need for the act.

Information is indispensable for the functioning of true democracy. Age of Information Freedom of Speech Lack of Transparency Barrier to the Information

Background
The Right to Information Act (RTI) is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir - which is covered under a Statelevel law. Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen (excluding the citizens within J&K) may request information from a "public authority" (a body of Government or "instrumentality of State") which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively publish certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.

Purpose to be Served
The prerequisite for enjoying this right is knowledge and information Right to Information is a constitutional right Main Points of Resolution Should be extended in respect of companies, NGOs and international agencies Provisions against misleading or inaccurate information. Reliable Redress Restriction on confidential communications Restriction on disclosure of the record needs to be removed.

What is Information
Definition of Information

The Information which is Absolute a) Information related to any material b) Public Authority of any Body c) Freedom of Information
a) b) c) d) e) Information which is not Absolute National Security Internal deliberations of the government Information from outside the Government communication between a legal advisor and his client. Information about scientific discoveries and inventions in field of weapons.

Definition Of RTI
The right to information is defined in sec. 2(j) as a right to information accessible under the Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and includes a right to (i) inspection of work, documents, records, (ii) taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records, (iii) taking separate samples of material, (iv) obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device.

RTI in other countries.

Australia. Sweden. USA.

Obligations of Public Authorities

What does a "public authority" mean? It means any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted: [S.2(h)]

PIOs-Public Information Officers

Communications coordinators or spokespersons of certain governmental organizations . Officers designated by the public authorities in all administrative units or offices under it to provide information to the citizens. Appointment of PIOs is mandatory for a 'public authority'.

Duties of PIOs
Provide adequate information to people who are seeking information. Immediate (5 days) transfer of application if pertaining to another public authority. On receiving request PIO should either provide info within 30 days or reject the request for a valid reason. If the information is not provide within specified period, the request is deemed as rejected and must be communicated to the applicant with (i) the reasons for such rejection, (ii) the period within which an appeal against such rejection may be preferred, and (iii) the particulars of the Appellate Authority.

Functions of Informations Commissions

The act provides for constitution of Central and State Information Commissions headed by Central Information Commissioner (CIC) and State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) respectively. CIC/SCIC has a duty to receive complaints from any person a) Who has not been able to submit an information request because a PIO has not been appointed. b) Who has been refused information that was requested c) Who has received no response to his/her information request within the specified time limit. d) Who thinks the fees charged are unreasonable. e) Who thinks information given is incomplete or false or misleading. f) Any other matter relating to obtaining information under this law.

Exclusions
Central Intelligence and Security Agencies Central Bureau of Investigation Central Economic Intelligence Bureau Narcotic Control Bureau Aviation Research Central BSF- Border Security Force CRPF- Central Reserve Police Force Special Service Bureau

CIC- Chief Information Commissioner

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) is the head of all the information officers. The State Information Commission (SIS) will be selected by the State Government At the end of year CIC is required to present a report which contains: (a) the number of requests made to each public authority; (b) the number of decisions where applicants were not given permission to access to the documents which they request, the provisions of the Act under which these decisions were made and the number of times such provisions were filed; (c)details of disciplinary action taken against any officer in respect of the administration of the Act; (d) the amount of charges collected by each public authority under the Act

Names & Numbers of RTI Activist.

In Mumbai Mrs. Hema Sampat 130,Cavel Street, 5th floor, Kalbadevi Road, Mumbai 400 002 9820508140 022-22058728 hemasampat456@yahoo.com Mr. Narayan Verma 210, Nariman Point, 56, Mittal Tower, Mumbai 022-23526326 nrnvarma@gmail.com

Success Stories
No chemical disaster plan with GSDMA, reveals RTI application. Ten lakh tonnes of food grains damaged in FCI godowns. Demolition of Illegal Structure at Vile Parle (E), Mumbai 400057.

Conclusion
The RTI Act has paved way for informed citizenry which would strengthen the democratic government of India. One of the important after effects of the Act is changing the mindset of the bureaucracy. India has finally woken up to realize that right to information is a key component in the attainment of economic, social and political rights of an individual. Greater Transparency. We can use our right to speech and expressions and control the governmental activities effectively.

Further Discussions.