1. Right to Information Act : EMPOWERMENT Through INFORMATION
KarticK chandra Barman assistant professor of history Krishna
chandra college
2. THE RTI ACT & YOUR EMPOWERMENT You can ask for (almost)
any information from the Public Authority You wont have to give
reasons for asking Redress of delay or non delivery, as that has to
be acknowledged through information
3. RTI- UNIQUENESS It has emerged from the grassroots -- not
imposed from above Involvement of Active Citizenry and Civil
Society Movement behind this Act You wont have to go to Court for
its implementation, every office needs to be geared up for this
Act.
4. RTI-Information is Power Information With People True
Democracy Power of People RTI
5. RTI- THE FOUNDATION The real Swaraj will come not by the
acquisition of authority by a few but by the acquisition of
capacity by all to resist authority when abused. -Mahatma
Gandhi
6. RTI- THE InfFoOrmUatNioDn Ais TpIoOweNr and it belongs to
people. In democratic polity every person is capable of governing
itself and sovereignty lies in people. Supreme Court interpreted
Right to Know as integral part of Right to Freedom of Speech and
Expression.
7. State of U.P. vs. Raj Narain (AIR 1975 SC 865) - Justice
K.K.Mathew The people of this country have a right to know every
public act, everything that is done in a public way, by their
public functionaries. The right to know which is derived from the
concept of freedom of speech, though not absolute, is a factor
which should make one wary, when secrecy is claimed for
transactions which can, at any rate, have no repercussion on public
security. To cover with veil of secrecy, the common routine
business, is not in the interest of the public.
8. RTI- THE FOUNDATION Democracy requires an informed citizenry
and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning
and also to contain corruption and to hold Governments and their
instrumentalities accountable to the governed - Right to
Information Act 2005
9. RTI- THE I bFelOievUe tNhaDt thAe TpaIsOsaNge of this Bill
will see the dawn of a new era in our processes of governance, an
era of performance and efficiency, an ear which will ensure that
benefits of growth flow to all sections of our people, an era which
will eliminate the scourge of corruption, an era which will bring
the common mans concern to the heart of all processes of
governance, an era which will truly fulfill the hopes of the
founding fathers of our Republic. : Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime
Minister of India
10. RTI ACT Enacted on 15 June 2005. Came into force on 12
October 2005
11. RTI ACT- BASIC PURPOSE - Informed Citizenry - Transparency
in Governance - Practical Regime of RTI - Secure Access to
Information in Public Authority - Prevention of Corruption
12. RTI- THE PROVISIONS Right to Information Right Shall
Publish Mandatory Within reasonable time , subject to availability
of resources Suo moto publication minimum use of Act Consider local
language, cost effectiveness, effective mode of communication 100
days to designate PIO No bar in appointing APIO in sub district and
sub divisional level
13. RTI- THE PROVISIONS Request in writing or electronic form
English , Hindi, Official Language Reasonable assistance for oral
request Do not ask for reason for request Transfer application
within 5 days Give information within 30/35 days In case of life ,
liberty within 48 hours Not giving info within time deemed to be
refused
14. RTI- THE PROVISIONS Fee to be reasonable , no fee for BPL
Public interest overweigh private interest Liability for negligence
Penalty for not giving information Act done in good faith no legal
proceeding. Overrides Official Secret Act and other laws No civil
courts jurisdiction
15. RTI- ACTION PLAN Have you appointed PIO/ APIO Have you made
documentation ready Have you classified documents according to your
convenience Have you notified information regarding PIO Have you
made proforma ready
16. RTI- ACTION PLAN Application for information Money receipt
Record of request for information Supply of information Refusal of
information Transfer of request for information Third party
information Appeal
17. RTI- INFORMATION Information means any material in any form
including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices,
press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports,
papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form
and information relating to any private body which can be accessed
by a public authority under any other law for the time being in
force -
18. RTI- RECORDS Every public authority shall maintain all its
records duly catalogued and indexed in a manner and the form which
facilitates the right to information under this Act and ensure that
all records that are appropriate to be computerised are, within a
reasonable time and subject to availability of resources,
computerised and connected through a network all over the country
on different systems so that access to such records is
facilitated
19. RTI- RIGHTS It includes the right to - i. inspect works,
documents, records. ii. take notes, extracts or certified copies of
documents or records. iii. take certified samples of material. iv.
obtain information in form of printouts, diskettes, floppies,
tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through
printouts
20. RTI- PUBLIC "puAblicU auTthHoriOty" RmeIaTnsY any authority
or body or institution of self- government established or
constituted (a) by or under the Constitution; (b) by any other law
made by Parliament; (c) by any other law made by State Legislature;
(d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate
Government, and includes any (i) body owned, controlled or
substantially financed; (ii) non-Government organization
substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by
the
21. RTI- EXEMPTIONS a) forbidden by any court of law or
tribunal b) breach of privilege of Parliament or the State
Legislature c) affects the sovereignty and integrity of India d)
information related to agencies mentioned in the Second Schedule of
the Act
22. RTI- EXEMPTIONS e) Commercial confidence, trade secrets or
intellectual property f) Information from a foreign government g)
Cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of
Ministers, Secretaries or prosecution of offenders h) Information
which relates to personal matters, the disclosure of which has no
bearing on any public activity or interest
23. RTI- NEED OF THE HOUR What can you do now Create Awareness
Proactive use File Application seeking Information
24. ACKNOWLEDGEME NTS Prof. Anirban Majumdar, NUJS Prof.
Supriyo Routh, NUJS Sabir Ahmed, Calcutta Samaritans Dr. A. P.
Mukherjee, Member, ARC Shri Bhabesh Das, AIR