The need for the Right to Information
During the colonial period in Europe, people created their own rules and regulations by gathering and debating. However, in a country like India, where hundreds of millions of people live, it is impossible to gather together and have a discussion. As a result, the people of India control our government by electing representatives to Parliament. It is our responsibility, as citizens in constitutional countries, to choose our representatives.
Indirectly people engage in the democratic system. In a democratic society, not only legislators but also other government officials play a significant role. People should have the right to know what their representatives and officials are up to. They must keep a close eye on the activities of their representatives. It requires thorough information on administrative tasks.
Every citizen has a responsibility to consider the country’s administration and to be informed about the laws made by the government.[1] They should be aware of what the representatives are up to. Whether their representative in the legislature raises issues such as a lack of health care, unemployment, poverty, scarcity, illegal business, water issues, and so on. The officers labour tirelessly to see that the government’s many assistance initiatives are implemented. Are the people aware of the schemes? Did these schemes reach the general public? Is it true that these plans were implemented? Unfortunately, the general public lacks specific information regarding government welfare programmes and how these programmes are implemented by government personnel.
Role of the Government in The Right to Information
After 60 years of independence, Indians now have the opportunity to benefit from the “Right to Information.” The ‘Act to Right’ was enacted by parliament in 2002, and it applies to all states and union territories. However, it is not implemented in all states and union territories. As a result, it was renamed “Right to Information Act 2005.” It has been in effect in all parts of the country since October 13, 2005. The Right to Information Act is a wide law that requires federal and state governments, as well as their offices and officials, executive boards, legislatures, and judiciaries, to provide access to information.[2] The Right to Information Act should be applied to institutions that were formed by the government and received government grants.[3]
If the government requires information from private institutions for the sake of the public good, the government can also make specific information available to citizens. For the growth of society and the nation, the government has issued several welfare packages. All such initiatives must be communicated to the general public. As a result, the government should be required to offer straightforward information about these programmes in local newspapers, on TV channels, and elsewhere. This will help individuals become more aware of the programmes.
The government also enacts different laws that benefit the general public. Few people are aware of the laws enacted by the government. As a result, the government should be required to publish various laws in plain English for the general public. The paperwork in several government departments, such as the Revenue Department, RTO, and Tahasil Office, is extremely intricate and beyond the comprehension of the general public. Because of their lack of knowledge of the paperwork, the people were used by the agents and officers. The government should be required to offer information about their department’s activities in basic and local languages. The centre of the information is on a display board in a public space or a market area.
The government creates comities to address various socioeconomic issues. Reports including objections and suggestions from various committees should be required to be made public. It is the government’s constitutional responsibility to offer information to society’s citizens. Such reports should be available in the country’s bookshops, according to the government. This will assist citizens in comprehending the government’s many welfare challenges. The government must supply citizens with information that they have requested, but the government also must provide citizens with information.
[1] Yannoukakou, A., & Araka, I. (2014). Access to government information: Right to information and open government data synergy. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 147, 332-340.
[2] Roberts, A. (2001). Structural pluralism and the right to information. The University of Toronto Law Journal, 51(3), 243-271.
[3] Baviskar, A. (2010). Winning the right to information in India: Is knowledge power. Citizen action and national policy reform, 130-152.
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