The Right to Information Act, 2005 lets any Indian citizen ask any public authority (government offices, bodies funded by government) for information. Each office has a Public Information Officer who must answer within a time limit. Refusals can be appealed to the Central Information Commission or a State Information Commission, which the Act created.
Key facts
- Passed 15 June 2005; in force from 12 October 2005; replaced the Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
- Normal reply time is 30 days from the request.
- The Act created the Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions to hear appeals.
- Intelligence and security organisations in the Second Schedule are exempt under Section 24, except for corruption and human rights violations.
- A 2019 amendment let the Centre fix the term and pay of Information Commissioners; the Supreme Court in 2019 upheld that the CJI's office is covered.
Why exams ask about it
Questions pick the shorter urgent deadline, the appeal bodies, the grassroots movement behind the law and what is exempt.