The Right to Information Act, 2005 is a landmark in the history of independent India. It serves as a tool in the hands of citizens with which they can ensure transparency and good governance. It gives Indian citizens access to records of central government and state governments as well as private institutions, including colleges. It promises to be a single piece of legislation that can result in the victory of participatory democracy. The Right to Information Act, 2005 fulfils necessity of the present epoch, of ‘preserving the paramountcy of democratic ideal’ over dissipating forces, being felt since 1970s. All polities of the world within their distinctive pattern have felt for new or increased participation of people in maintaining democracy, which, these days, is plagued by official secrecy and resulting corruption to a point of its general breakdown. The Indian RTI Act, 2005 and its predecessor Freedom of Information Act, 2002 are the result of a people’s movement supported by elected legislature that reflects distrust of the official secrecy system and prevailing administrative corruption marked by ‘sitting on files’ on the pretext of maintaining official secrecy. The Indian experiment is an advanced step in this direction since RTI Act creates a legal obligation on all authorities—executive, legislative and judicial—to provide sincere and correct information to people in the format in which applicants want it, within a time frame, or suffer punishment for the lapse. The book The Right to Information Act, 2005 offers a comprehensive study on the Right to Information giving all necessary details. It is divided into six parts. Each part provides information on different issues— directly or indirectly related to this Act. This book will be of immense help to common readers, in general, and lawyers, NGOs, students and teachers of law and all those interested in the subject, in particular. It will create an awareness among the citizens about their rights.

Table of Contents:
Preface—Part I: Introduction—Introduction–U.N. Gupta—Part Ii: The Right to Information Act, 2005—The Right to Information Act, 2005; The Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005; The Central Information Commission (Appeal Procedure) Rules, 2005; he Lok Sabha Secretariat Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005—Part Iii: Other Related Laws—The Official Secrets Act, 1923; The Public Records Act, 1993; The Public Records Rules, 1997; The Freedom of Information Act, 2002—Part Iv: Allied Acts and Rules (Relevant Provisions)—The All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968; The Atomic Energy Act, 1962; The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986; The Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1964; The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973; The Companies Act, 1956; The Competition Act, 2002; The Constitution of India; The Delimitation Act, 2002; The Designs Act, 2000; The Indian Evidence Act, 1872; The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999; The Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860); The Information Technology Act, 2000; The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Regulations, 2003; The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001; The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Rules, 2003; The Representation of the People Act, 1951; The Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000; The Trade Marks Act, 1999—Part V: Reports and Guidelines (Relevant Provisions)—Report of National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution, 2002; 179th Report of Law Commission of India on the Public Interest Disclosure and Protection of Informer, 2001; The Public Interest Disclosure (Protection of Informers) Bill, 2002; Election Commission’s Guidelines for Publication and Dissemination of Results of Opinion Polls/Exit Polls, 1998; Guidelines on the Right to Know Promoting Open Government Commonwealth Principles—Part VI: State Laws on the Right to Information—The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Andhra Pradesh Right to Information Bill, 2001; The Arunachal Pradesh Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Assam Right to Information Act, 2001; The Assam Right to Information Fee Notification, 2005; The Delhi Right to Information Act, 2001; The Delhi Right to Information Rules, 2001; The Delhi Right to Information Notification, 2005; The Goa Right to Information Act, 1997; The Gujarat Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Haryana Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Act, 2004; The Jammu and Kashmir Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Karnataka Right to Information Act, 2000; The Karnataka Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999; The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Rules, 2000; The Karnataka Legislative Assembly Secretariat Right to Information Rules, 2006; The Karnataka Public Service Commission Right to Information Rules, 2006; The Kerala Right to Information Bill, 2002; The Madhya Pradesh Right to Information Bill, 2003; The Madhya Pradesh Right to Information (Fees and Appeal) Rules, 2005; The Maharashtra Right to Information Act, 2002; The Maharashtra Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Meghalaya Right to Information Notification, 2005; The Orissa Right to Information Act, 2002; The Orissa Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Punjab Right to Information Rules, 2005; The Rajasthan Right to Information Act, 2000; The Tamil Nadu Right to Information Act, 1997