RTI Full Form

The RTI stands for Right to Information and it is an act of the parliament of India which sets out the rules and the procedures regarding the citizen’s right to information. The RTI replaces the former Freedom of Information Act of the year 2002. Under the RTI Act, any Indian person may seek information from a "public authority" which is a government entity or "state instrumentality" that is supposed to respond promptly or within thirty days. The information must be delivered within 48 hours if the situation involves a petitioner's life or liberty. Every public entity is also required by the Act to computerize its records for wide distribution and proactively disseminate certain information categories so that citizens only need to make formal requests for information.

The RTI Bill was passed by the Parliament of India on 15th June 2005 and it came into force with effect from 12th October 2005. On average, around 4800 RTI applications are filed and in the last ten years, since the commencement of the act, over 17,50,00,000 applications have been filed.

Although the Constitution of India does not list the Right to Information as a Basic Right, it does defend the Constitution's fundamental rights to Freedom of Expression and Speech (Article 19(1)(a)) and Right to Life and Personal Liberty (Article 21). The authorities covered by the RTI Act of 2005 are referred to as public authorities. In public authorities, the Public Information Officer (PIO) or the First Appellate Authority decides on applications and appeals in a quasi-judicial manner. The RTI Act was enacted in order to consolidate the fundamental rights in the Indian constitution ‘Freedom of speech. The RTI Act is an implied fundamental right since it is considered to be implicit in the Right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 of the Indian constitution.

The Official Secrets Act of 1923 and many other specific restrictions have traditionally limited information disclosure in India, which the new RTI Act trumps. Citizens of India have a basic right to information, which is codified in the Right to Information Act. RTI has shown to be quite effective, however, the Whistle-Blowers Protection Act of 2011 prevents it from being used. The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019, aims to alter the RTI Act's Sections 13, 16, and 27. Section 13 of the original Act reads as follows: It establishes a five-year term for the central Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners (or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier). Finally, on September 20, 2020, in the case of Ashwanee K. Singh, it was established that freedom of information is a basic right.

In this article we are going to discuss RTI, what is the full form of rti act, Its scope, how to file an RTI, and also a few of the most frequently asked questions will also be answered.

What is the Full Form of RTI

• RTI  full form in English is Right to information. The Right to Information Act of 2005 requires the government to respond to public requests for information promptly. Every citizen has the right to request any information from the government, see any government papers, and get a certified copy of such papers. Citizens can also utilize their right to information to request an official inspection of any government work or to get a sample of any substance used in that work.

• The right to information is considered to be a part of the fundamental rights under Article 19(1) of the constitution. Article 19(1) states that every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression.

• Even though RTI is a basic right, we nevertheless need the RTI Act to exercise it. This is because if you went to any government department and informed the official, "RTI is my basic right, and I am the master of this nation," he or she would dismiss you. As a result, please show me all of your files,” he would refuse to do so. He'd almost certainly kick you out of his room. As a result, we require technology or a process to exercise this basic right. That machinery is provided by the Right to Information Act of 2005, which took effect on October 13, 2005. As a result, the Right to Information Act confers no new rights on us. The RTI simply lays down on how to apply for the information, where to apply and how much fees should be paid etc. 

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The Beginning of RTI

• The rti full name is Right to information and RTI Act was passed by the Indian Parliament on June 15, 2005. The Act went into force on October 12, 2005, and has since been used to deliver information to millions of Indian individuals. This Act encompasses all constitutional authorities, making it one of the most powerful laws in the country.

Scope of RTI 

• The Act covers the entire country of India. It includes the administration, legislature, and judiciary, as well as any organization or entity founded or created by an act of Parliament or a state legislature. Body or authority established or created by order or notice of the relevant government, including bodies "owned, controlled, or substantially financed" by government, or non-governmental organizations "substantially sponsored, directly or indirectly by money," are also described under the Act.

The Main Objective of the RTI Act 

• The Right to Information is the rti expansion. The basic objective of the RTI or the rti long form which is the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens and promote transparency and accountability in the working of the government and also to control the corruption which is happening in the government bodies and make sure that the democracy works for the people of our country. A well-informed population will be better able to maintain required vigilance on government tools and hold the government more responsive to the people.

Governance and the Process of RTI

The abbreviation of rti is Right To Information. Basically, RTI in India is governed by two major bodies in India and they are 

• Central Information Commission (CIC) - The Chief Information Commissioner who is also the head of all the central departments and the ministries with their public information officers (PIO)s.CICs work directly or report directly to the President of India. 

• State Information Commissions - SPIOs, or State Public Information Officers, are in charge of all state departments and ministries. The State Governor is directly responsible for the SPIO office.

• The State and Central Information Commissions are separate entities, with the Central Information Commission having no authority over the State Information Commission.

Use of RTI to Solve Personal Problems 

Submit an RTI application asking sharp questions, whether it's a never-ending wait in passport dispatch or police dithering in providing you with a copy of an FIR you may have filed. This is most likely the start of the end of your problems. Income tax return, pension release, PF withdrawal or transfer, Aadhaar card release, or issuing of property papers or a driver's license are all pending. In any of these scenarios—or other issues involving a government agency—using the RTI tool will guarantee you an official answer, on which you may build a case if your problem isn't resolved.

A citizen has the right to ask the government officials reasons for the delay in the government service requested. For example, imagine a person who has applied for a passport, and it’s been months and the passport has not yet arrived. This is the time when one can apple for the RTI and ask questions such as:

1. Please provide the details of the progress done on my passport application. 

2. Please provide me the names of the officers with whom my application has been lying during the approval period. 

3. Please just inform me as per your citizen’s charter that in how many days should I have got the passport. 

In the majority of cases, the problem which the citizens face gets resolved. In this way, anyone can use the RTI to solve many other problems which are pending and especially the ones in which the bribe is being asked by the government officials. 

Power of the RTI Act 

• When it comes to RTI, there are various protectors at work to ensure that the Act is obeyed to the word and spirit. In addition to establishing a method for disseminating information, the Act used a "perform or perish" strategy.

• Every government agency must designate one person to serve as a public information officer (PIO). When a department receives an RTI request, the PIO is responsible for providing the requested information to the applicant within 30 days. If the PIO fails to comply, a monetary penalty may be applied. The greater the penalty imposed on an application by a PIO, the longer he or she must wait. There have been cases where PIOs have been ordered to pay fines in the hundreds of rupees.

• Every state has an Information Commission, which is led by a Chief Information Commissioner and consists of a few other commissioners. The government appoints former judges, IAS, and IPS personnel with flawless records to these positions. The Central Information Commission is above them in the hierarchy, and first and second appellate authorities are below them to ensure that an applicant receives the RTI information he or she has sought.

The Fee to File an RTI 

•  Every RTI application must be accompanied by a fee of Rs. 10 for federal government departments. Payment methods may differ from one government to the next. Some organizations take cash when completing an application in person, while others do not. Some request a Court Fee Stamp, while others need an Indian postal order (IPO). We can use an Rs. 10 IPO/court fee stamp while mailing an RTI application.

• Those living below the poverty level (BPL) do not have to pay a charge of Rs. 10 to file an RTI.

• If a person has asked the government office to have copies of a few records, then that person needs to pay rupees 2 per page. Once the officer on the duty receives the request of the person and then says the amount then the person wanting the copies needs to pay towards making the copies. A person who has requested the copies will get an intimation with the help of the postal service. A person can make the payment by sending the postal order or the court fee stamp or can also demand the draft of the said payment. 

Time is Taken to Get the RTI Response 

• RTI information must be delivered within 30 days, according to the law. Government documents, on the other hand, might be lost or might have been misplaced. Alternatively, the agency to which you've written may need to coordinate with another department in order to give you the information you want. In such cases, the information may take longer than 30 days to arrive. In this scenario, the PIO responsible must notify you in writing of the potential delay and the reason for it. If he or she fails to do so and you do not obtain the information within 30 days, the PIO may face a penalty if the issue is referred to appellate authorities.

Government Organizations that are Required to Give Information Under the RTI Act 

• The Act applies to all government entities, whether they are under the control of a state government or the federal government. Municipal corporations, PSUs (Public Sector Units), government departments, ministries at the state and federal levels, the judiciary, government-owned businesses, government universities, government schools, works departments, road authorities, and the Provident Fund Department, to name a few examples. The list is pretty comprehensive.

• You may inquire about a government's spending on renovations to its ministers' bungalows, as well as their telephone and fuel bills. You may also inquire about the amount spent on international travels by MLAs and MPs.

• You have the right to inquire about how much of the money given to your elected representatives was spent on improving their constituency, and you have the right to get a breakdown of the amount spent per project. Because it is public money that is being spent here, this RTI information is available. Only a few ministries and departments make public RTI  responses available online. They are available on the appropriate websites.

• RTI covers governments and their ministries and local organizations like your municipal corporation or gram panchayat. RTI information must be provided by the police, passport office, electricity/water supply provider, and even the IRCTC.

• We can obtain copies of government documents such as records, advice/opinions, reports, papers, and file notings through the RTI process. Even electronic conversations and data must be made available to individuals in response to an RTI request. We can also travel to the department's office and view their records and papers only if the RTI information is very large, photocopies, certified copies, printouts, and other options are available.

Government Organizations that are Exempted from the RTI Act 

• As per the records, there is a twenty-odd organization that is spared from RTI. One common thing that is present in this organization that is spared is that they are related to the country's defense and intelligence such as RAW, BSF, CRF, CISF, Intelligence Bureau, National security guard, etc. 

• Furthermore, there are several cases in which RTI information cannot be provided. These cases involve issues that might have an impact on national security, sovereignty, strategic, economic, and/or scientific interests.

1. The judge has ruled that they cannot be freed.

2. Concerns about trade secrets or intellectual property, as well as information that might impact or undermine a third party's competitive position.

3. This term refers to information shared in a fiduciary relationship.

4. It has nothing to do with foreign government information.

5. Any person's life or physical safety would be jeopardized.

6. Would have an impact on the inquiry process.

7. It has something to do with cabinet papers.

8. It is related to personal information without any public interest.