Presented by-

Anushka (BA-LLB)
Rishabh Kumar Ambashta (BBA-LLB)
 Administrative Reforms Commission
• The ARC was set up by the Indian Government which was first chaired by Shri
Morarji R. Desai to make recommendations for reforming the administrative
system.
•
“The Commission was set up on 5th January, 1966 which was chaired by Morarji
Desai and other MP such as K. Hanumanthaiya, H.C. Mathur and others. H.V
Kamath and V. Shanker as member of secretary of the commission.
• The main job of ARC was to examine and to recommend the changes needed to be
done in the existing Indian Public Administration.
 What is right to information
• Right to information has been seen as the key to strengthening participatory democracy and
ushering in people centred governance. Right to information opens up government’s records to
public scrutiny, thereby arming citizens with a vital tool to inform them about what the
government does and how effectively, thus making the government more accountable.
• Transparency in government organisation makes them function more objectively there by
enhancing predictability. Information about functioning of government also enables citizens to
participate in the governance process effectively.
• In recognition of the need for transparency in public affairs, the Indian Parliament enacted the
Right to Information Act in 2005. It is a path breaking legislation empowering people and
promoting transparency.
 Right To Information Act (2005)
• The act is one of the most important acts which empowers ordinary citizens to
question the government and its working. All constitutional authorities,
agencies, owned and controlled, also those organisations which are substantially
financed by the government comes under the purview of the act.
• Objectives of the RTI Act-
1. Empowers citizens to question the government.
2. The act promotes transparency and accountability in the working of the
government.
3. The act also helps in containing corruption in the government and work for the
people in a better way.
• The RTI Act, 2005 empowers the citizen to question the secrecy and abuse of
powers practised in governance.
• The Supreme Court has, in several judgements, held that the RTI is a fundamental
right flowing from Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution, which guarantee to
citizens the freedom of speech and expression and the right to life, respectively.
• Every Year, around six million applications are filed under the RTI Act, making it
the most extensively used legislation globally.
• These applications seek information on a range of issues, from holding the
government accountable for the delivery of basic rights and entitlements to
questioning the highest offices of the country.
• But the question here is that really filling the RTI application is that easy in India,
and if it is easy then why the ARC recommended some improvements in the RTI
Act in its second Commission.
Challenges faced by the RTI Act
• Different types of information is sought which has no public interest and -
sometimes can be used to misuse the law and harass the public authorities. For
example-
Asking for desperate and voluminous information.
To attain publicity by filing RTI
RTI filed as vindictive tool to harass or pressurize the public authority
• Because of the illiteracy and unawareness among the majority of population in the
country, the RTI cannot be exercised.
• Though RTI’s aim is not to create a grievance redressal mechanism. The notices
from Information Commissions often spur the public authorities to redress
grievances.
RTI Vs Legislations for Non Disclosure of information

• Some provisions of Indian Evidence Act ( sec 123, 124, and 162) provide to hold
the disclosure of documents.
• Under these provisions, head of departments may refuse to provide information on
affairs of state and only swearing that it is a state secret will entitle not to disclose
the information.
• In a similar manner no public officers shall be compelled to disclose
communications made to him in official confidence.
• The Official Secrets Act, 1923 provides that any government official can mark a
document as confidential so as to prevent its publication.
 RTI and Political Parties
• Why few activists want political parties to be brought under RTI?
To contain corruption
Huge donations from corporates which lead to favouritism or crony
capitalism
Illegal foreign contribution
Various members of the opposition are also part of various
parliamentary committees.
They enjoy multiple benefits like concessional office spaces, free
airtime on DD & AIR from govt
 2nd ARC Report On RTI
• Chapter 1- The Official Secrets Act:
 OSA is an Act which was enacted during the colonial era, governs all matters of
secrecy and confidentiality in governance.
 The Official Secrets Act has frequently been considered to be in direct conflict
with the Right to Information (RTI) Act of 2005.
If the OSA has any inconsistencies in terms of information disclosure, the RTI Act
shall take precedence.
 In effect, if the government classifies a document as secret under Official Secrets
Act, it can be kept outside the scope of RTI Act.
Sharing information that could aid an enemy state is prohibited under this section.
 Recommendations on Official Secrets Act
• The law Commission was the first governmental organization to make an
observations about the Official Secrets Act’s 1971.
• The Law Commission, on the other hand did not recommend any amendments to
the Act.
• The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission(ARC) recommended repealing the
Official Secrets Act in 2006. It wanted the Official Secrets Act to be replaced with
a section of the National Security Act that dealt with government secrets.
• Government Committee – In 2015, the government formed a committee to
examine the Official Secrets Act’s provisions in light of the RTI Act.
• In 2017, it submitted a report to the Cabinet Secretariat recommending that the
Official Secrets Act be made more transparent and in compliance with the RTI
Act.
 Implementation of The Right To Information Act
• In order to enforce the rights and fulfil the obligation under the Act, building of institutions,
organization of information and creation of an enabling environment are critical.
• The commission has taken steps to implement the act as follows:
Building institutions
1. Information Commissions
2. Information Officers and Appellate Authorities
Information and record-keeping
1. Suo motu declaration under section 4.
2. Public Interest Disclosure
3. Modernizing recordkeeping
Capacity building and awareness generation
Creation of monitoring mechanism
• The Act provides for selection of CIC and SICs in a bipartisan manner, and
involves the leader of the Opposition in the process. It would be appropriate to
include in the selection committee the Chief Justice of SC and HC. This will
enhance the quality of the selection and public confidence.
Recommendation
Section 12 of the Act may be amended to constitute the Selection Committee of
CIC with the Prime Minister , Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of
India. And same section 15 for the States Selection Committee of SICs.
The CIC should establish 4 regional offices of CIC with a Commissioner heading
each. Similarly regional offices of SICs should be established in larger States.
At least half of the members of the information Commissions should be drawn
from non civil services background. Such a provision may be made in the Rules
under the Act, by the Union Government, applicable to both CIC and SICs.
 Organising Information and Record Keeping
Recommendation
• Public Records Offices should be established as an independent authority in GOI
and all States within 6 months by integrating and restructuring the multiple
agencies currently involved in record keeping. This Office will be a repository of
technical and professional expertise in management of public records. It will be
responsible for supervision, monitoring, control and inspection of record keeping
in all public offices.
• As a one time measure, GOI may create a Land Records Modernisation Fund for
survey and upgradation of all land records. The quantum of assistance for each
State would be based on an assessment of the field situation
 Monitoring of Implementation of Act
• The CIC and the SICs may be entrusted with the task of monitoring effective
implementation of the Right to Information Act in all public authorities. As a large
number of nodal officer should be identified wherever necessary by the
appropriate monitoring authority to monitor implementation of the Act.
• A National Coordination Committee (NCC) may be set up under the
chairpersonship of the Chief Information Commissioner with the nodal Union
Ministry, the SICs and representatives of States as members. A provision to this
effect may be made under Section 30 of the Act by way of removing difficulties.
• The National Coordination Committee would serve as a national platform for
effective implementation and will perform such other relevant functions as may be
deemed necessary.
 Issues in Implementation
• Facilitating Access: For seeking information, a process as prescribed under the
Act has to set in motion. The trigger will be filing of a request. Once the request
is filled the onus of responding to it shifts to the government agency.
• Difficulties of RTI-
1. Complicated system of accepting requests.
2. Insistence on demand drafts.
3. Difficulties in filing applications by post.
4. Varying and often higher rates of application fee.
5. Large number of PIOs(Public Information Officers).
 Recommendations on implementations of the act
• In addition to the existing modes of payment, appropriate governments should
amend the Rules to include payment through postal orders.
• States may be required to frame Rules regarding application fee which are in
harmony with the Central Rules. State Governments may issue appropriate stamps
in suitable denominations as a mode of payment of fees. Such stamps would be
used for making applications before public authorities coming within the purview
of State Governments.
• As all the post offices in the country have already been authorized to function as
APIOs on behalf of Union Ministries, they may also be authorized to collect the
fees in cash and forward a receipt along with the application.
 Conclusion
• One single law cannot change everything. But this fine legislation is an important
beginning. Its effective application depends largely on the institutions created,
early traditions and practices, attendant changes in laws and procedures, and
adequate participations of people and the public servants.
• It is well recognized that right to information in necessary, but not sufficient, to
improve governance. A lot more needs to be done to usher in accountability in
governance, including protection of whistle blowers, decentralization of power
and fusion of authority with accountability at all levels.
• This law provides us a priceless opportunity to redesign the processes of
governance, particularly at the grass roots level where the citizens’ interface is
maximum.