Right to Know

News: The Supreme Court of India, on May 9, 2025, set aside a Delhi High Court order that had directed the Wikimedia Foundation to take down a Wikipedia page related to a defamation case. The judgment reinforced the importance of free expression, intermediary protection, and public discourse even in sub judice matters highlighting the judiciary’s role in upholding transparency and democratic participation. Right to Know

About Right to Know

• Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty, a broad term encompassing multiple rights, including the Right to Know.
• This right overlaps with Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech and expression), giving it a dual constitutional foundation.
• In R.P. Ltd. v. Indian Express Newspaper, the Supreme Court (SC) recognised the Right to Know as intrinsic to participatory democracy.
• The SC emphasised that in an increasingly interconnected global society, the concept of liberty must be interpreted expansively, including: The right to hold opinions and the right to receive and sustain information
• Hence, Article 21 confers on every person a Right to know, which includes access to information essential for informed decision-making.
• In PUCL v. Union of India, the SC noted that fundamental rights are not static; they evolve with societal needs and contexts.
• Courts are urged to interpret fundamental rights expansively to reflect contemporary values and social experiences.
• There must be no discrimination between rights explicitly listed in Part III of the Constitution and those declared by the judiciary through interpretation.