The Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act) of India was enacted to promote transparency and accountability in the functioning of public authorities. It provides a framework for citizens to access information under the control of public authorities. The Act is divided into 6 chapters with 31 sections. Below is a breakdown of the chapters of the RTI Act, 2005:
Chapter 1: Preliminary (Section 1 – Section 2)
- Section 1: Short title, extent, and commencement.
- Section 2: Definitions.
- This section defines key terms like “information,” “public authority,” and “right to information.”
Chapter 2: Right to Information and Obligation of Public Authorities (Section 3 – Section 7)
- Section 3: Right to information.
- Provides that every citizen shall have the right to request information from a public authority.
- Section 4: Obligations of public authorities.
- Requires public authorities to maintain records, publish information, and make proactive disclosures to promote transparency.
- Section 5: Designation of Public Information Officers (PIOs).
- Specifies the need for appointing PIOs who will handle information requests.
- Section 6: Request for information.
- Details how citizens can make requests for information to public authorities.
- Section 7: Disposal of requests.
- Specifies time limits for responding to RTI requests (usually within 30 days).
Chapter 3: Central Information Commission (Section 8 – Section 11)
- Section 8: Exemption from disclosure of information.
- Lists categories of information that are exempt from disclosure, such as national security and personal privacy.
- Section 9: Procedure to be followed by Central Information Commission (CIC).
- Section 10: Power to require production of documents.
- Specifies powers of the CIC to summon and enforce the production of records.
- Section 11: Third-party information.
- Outlines the process for handling third-party information and obtaining consent before disclosing it.
Chapter 4: State Information Commission (Section 12 – Section 14)
- Section 12: Constitution of the State Information Commission.
- This section provides for the creation of State Information Commissions.
- Section 13: Appointment of State Chief Information Commissioner (SCIC) and Information Commissioners.
- Details the appointment process and tenure of information commissioners.
- Section 14: Term of office.
- Specifies the tenure of the Information Commissioners and the process of their removal.
Chapter 5: Appeal and Penalties (Section 15 – Section 19)
- Section 15: Appeal to State Information Commission.
- Describes the process for appealing to the State Information Commission if the request is denied.
- Section 16: Appeal to Central Information Commission.
- Similar to Section 15 but for appeals to the Central Information Commission.
- Section 17: Penalties.
- Specifies penalties for officials who fail to comply with the RTI Act.
Chapter 6: Miscellaneous (Section 20 – Section 31)
- Section 20: Penalties for non-compliance.
- Provides details about the penalties imposed on public officials for not providing information or delaying it.
- Section 21: Protection of action taken in good faith.
- Protects public servants acting in good faith while performing their duties under the RTI Act.
- Section 22: Act to override other laws.
- The provisions of the RTI Act override any other conflicting laws.
- Section 23: Bar of jurisdiction.
- States that the jurisdiction of courts is barred regarding the matters under this Act.
- Section 24: Act not to apply to certain organizations.
- Lists specific organizations (like intelligence agencies) to which the Act does not apply.
- Section 25: Powers and functions of Information Commissions.
- Specifies the powers and duties of the Central and State Information Commissions.
- Section 26: Annual reports.
- Requires annual reports from the Central and State Information Commissions to be laid before Parliament and State Legislatures.
- Section 27: Power to make rules.
- Grants the government the power to make rules to carry out the provisions of the Act.
- Section 28: Power to make regulations.
- Allows Information Commissions to make regulations for the implementation of the Act.
- Section 29: Laying of rules and regulations.
- States the process of laying down the rules and regulations before Parliament.
- Section 30: Repeal and saving.
- Repeals the earlier Freedom of Information Act, 2002, but saves the actions taken under it.
- Section 31: Transitional provisions.
- Provides transitional provisions for the establishment of the Information Commissions.