“The Right to Information Act is not all about citizens’ empowerment alone, it essentially redefines the concept of accountability.” Discuss. (UPSC IAS Mains 2018 General Studies Paper – 4)
The Right to Information (RTI) Act is a powerful tool for citizens that promotes transparency and accountability in administration. It empowers citizens to seek information from public authorities, making the government and its functionaries more accountable and responsible, and enhancing the citizen’s ability to participate in the process. However, the RTI Act is not just about citizens'' empowerment, it also redefines the concept of accountability in the following ways:
- Responsibility For Proactive Disclosures: It mandates government agencies to make proactive disclosures of information in the public interest. This provision has enhanced and redefined the accountability of government agencies, making them more transparent and responsible.
- Accountability For Timely Information Dissemination: The Act provides for a penalty on the Public Information Officer in case he/she fails to provide information. This provision has made public officials more accountable for their actions and has also ensured that information is provided to citizens within a reasonable time frame.
- Enhanced Duty Discharge By Public Functionaries: RTI has facilitated the lawful execution of duties by officers, thereby elevating the quality of public services. Access to information encourages public officers to perform their duties with greater diligence, as they are aware that non-compliance may lead to penalties.
- Accountability For Secrecy: The Official Secrets Act, a legacy of the British colonial rule, led to secrecy and opaqueness in administration and was designed to deny information about government activities to the people. The RTI Act, on the contrary, promotes transparency and accountability by laying down the responsibility of information dissemination on the bureaucracy itself. This has redefined the concept of accountability in public administration.
In conclusion, the Right to Information Act is not just about empowering citizens but also about redefining the concept of accountability in public administration. It has made government agencies more transparent and responsible, and has ensured that citizens have the right to access information that was previously kept secret. By doing so, the RTI Act has strengthened democracy and promoted good governance.
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