Essay On Right To Information

953 Words4 Pages

“RIGHT TO INFORMATION” “The two words 'information' and 'communication' are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through” . RTI (Right to Information) means a seemingly harmless, basic and simple right, the right to ask questions and the right to demand answers. RTI is a natural consequence of a large democracy with complicated structures and a population rampant with lack of education. If we think of it like a company in the market, the citizens are simply the stakeholders who are questioning the firm’s decisions. Additionally, since the bureaucracy is an enormous system, it is very difficult to control. The sweeping powers of the RTI make it an ideal weapon …show more content…

In fact, this predominance of bureaucratic secrecy is usually legitimised by a colonial law, the Official Secrets Act, 1923, which makes the disclosure of official information by public servants an offence . The right to information is expected to improve the quality of decision making by public authorities, in both policy and administrative matters, by removing unnecessary secrecy surrounding the decision making process. It would enable groups and individuals to be kept informed about the functioning of the decision making process as it affects them, and to know the kinds of criteria that are to be applied by government agencies in making these decisions. It is hoped that this would enhance the quality of participatory political democracy by giving all citizens further opportunity to participate in a more full and informed way in the political process. By securing access to relevant information and knowledge, the citizens would be enabled to assess government performance and to participate in and influence the process of government decision-making and policy formulation on any issue of concern to

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