What makes Right To Information Act 2005 special is its power and practicality to seek and get information from government authorities. The law also promoted transparency and accountability in public authorities.
Salient Features of Right To Information Act 2005
- Replaced Freedom of Information Act 2002.
- Jammu and Kashmir has separate Right To Information Act – RTI 2009.
- RTI relaxes restrictions placed by Official Secrets Act 1923.
- 3 Levels – Public Information Officer, First Appellate Authority, Central Information Commission(CIC).
- Time period for Public Information Officer : Expeditiously or within 30 days from the date of receipt by public authority.
- Maximum time gap for 1st appeal : 30 days since limit of supply of information is expired.
- Time period for Appellate Authority : Within 30 days or in exceptional cases 45 days from the date of receipt by public authority.
- Maximum time gap for 2nd appeal : 90 days since limit of supply of information is expired.
- RTI act also asks for computerization and proactively publish information.
- Bodies applicable under RTI : Constitutional bodies at center and state ( Legislature, Executive, Judiciary), bodies/NGOs owned/financed by government, privatized public utility companies.
- Bodies excluded under RTI : Central Intelligence and Security Agencies, agencies of state specified through notification. The exclusion is not absolute.
- Central Information Commission shall consist of : 1 Chief Information Commissioner and upto 10 Central Information Commissioners.
- The Chief Information Commissioner shall hold office for a term of five years from the date on which he enters upon his office and shall not be eligible for reappointment.
- 31 sections and 6 chapters in the act.
- Section 8 deals with information exempted under the purview of this act.
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