| Demand of the question Introduction. Contextual Introduction. Body. An example of successful RTI. How it ushered transparency and accountability? Conclusion. Way forward. |
Transparency and accountability in administration is the sine qua non of participatory democracy. Right to information (RTI) ensured participation of Indian citizens in political and economic processes leading to good governance. Many cases have shown that RTI enabled more accountability and transparency in government administration.
| A case study reflecting how RTI enabled accountability and transparency? In Rajasthan’s Bikaner district ration shops were selling grains in the black market. Villagers used the Act to get all records of their ration shop in the village and exposed how grains meant for the poor were being black-marketed at a ration shop in Bikaner. After the move, the villagers got the dealer removed. Besides losing dealership, the ration shopkeeper was also forced to pay poor families in the village the cash equivalent of the grains he had sold illegally. |
How RTI enabled a culture of accountability of transparency in Indian democracy?
- Increased responsiveness:
- The greater the access of the citizen to information, led to increased responsiveness of government to community needs.
- Earlier government was less or not responsive to citizens’ needs and grievances.
- RTI enabled tracking of any project or policy through information at time.
- Awareness of rights:
- RTI has led to awareness of rights and responsibilities as citizens among people. This led to increased accountability of officials through RTI and litigation.
- Discharge of duties:
- Information through RTI has led to legitimate discharge of their duties by officers.
- It raised the standards of public services.
- Through information in public officer do their duty more diligently for not getting penalised.
- Led to Culture of obligation:
- Earlier information was protected by the colonial secrets Act 1923, which makes the disclosure of official information by public servants an offence.
- RTI has developed obligation at village, district, state or national level to disclose information to the people.
- Thus it enhanced transparency among various government bodies at all levels of the government.
- Empowered poor communities:
- RTI empowered poor communities to raise their voices on basis of information and demand for their rights from government.
- This ensured government being answerable to poor.
- This led to transparent approach towards working for poor communities.
- It plugged incidence of corruption and plugged leakages.
- Proper grievance mechanism: RTI provided for Central and the State Information Commissions to hear grievances related to RTI. These commissions have played an important role to play in the effective implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005 ensuring its proper implementation.
- Informed Citizenry:
- Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which for its functioning.
- RTI enabled healthy democracy and also contained corruption and hold Governments and accountable to the people.
Though RTI has led to more accountability and transparency, the transformative power of the Act is yet to be fully realised. The citizens, the Government, the media and the civil society need to address several constraining factors to ensure a more effective and equitable implementation of the Act. Some of the constraints in the effective implementation of the Act include lack of adequate public awareness, lack of proper system to manage and disseminate information, which need to be removed.
