Journey of RTI Act So Far

 

Recently on 12^th October, 2020, RTI Act completes the 15 years of its enactment. This law has empoweredmillion of people to claim their right to know by invoking its statutory remedy under the RTI Act. The right to information has been recognized as fundamental right and is covered by Article 19(1) of the Constitution, as correctly upheld by Supreme Court of India in its judgment. This law helps the citizen to actively participate in the decision making process of the government and thereby to make the government accountable and responsible. As far as working of the said law is concerned, it is relevant to note that every year around 6 million RTI applications are filed under this Act, thereby making it the most extensively used transparency legislation in the world. During the Covid 19 crisis too, the said legislation has been used as a tool to seek information regarding medical facilities available in the hospitals. Furthermore, It is an effective tool used by the public spirited persons to curbs corruption and also to check the menace of abuse of power by the various functionaries of the state. Recently in 2019, certain amendments were carried out in the RTI Act which takes away statutory protection of fixed tenure and also lowers the status of the commissioners appointed under the said Act, which has now been considered as regressive amendment by RTI Activist. Despite Supreme Court directions, presently, out of 11 Post of the commissioners, still 6 vacancies are currently vacant and the Post of Chief Information Commissioner is still vacant. This is for the fifth time in the last six years. The Right to Information by raising question is one the characteristic feature of any Democracy, hence, as this law completes 15 years of its enactment, Law makers needs to re think and assess the effect of the amendments carried out recently in the RTI Act thereby to ensure that the object with which this Act was enacted must be achieved and fulfilled.