Right to Information (RTI) is an Act of the
Parliament of India
to provide for setting out the practical
regime of right to information for citizens and replaces the erstwhile
Freedom of information Act, 2002. Under the provisions of the Act, any
citizen of India may request information from a "public authority" (a body
of Government or "instrumentality of State") which is required to reply
expeditiously or within thirty days.
The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.
This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. The first application was given to a Pune police station. Information disclosure in India was restricted by the
Official Secrets Act 1923
and various other special laws, which the new RTI Act relaxes. It codifies a fundamental right of citizens.
The Act covers the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir. It covers all constitutional authorities, including the executive, legislature and judiciary; any institution or body established or constituted by an act of Parliament or a state legislature. It is also defined in the Act that bodies or authorities established or constituted by order or notification of appropriate government including bodies "owned, controlled or substantially financed" by government, or non-Government organizations "substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds"
It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs etc. amongst others, besides access to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the Government of India as well as the State Governments.
Any citizen of India seeking information related to the operations carried by DIET can apply using the application form available in the website clearly stating the information needed. The information sought will be provided within the minimum period fixed by RTI act.
