Which of the following is not true about the objectives of the Right to Information Act?

Correct — option (3), To empower the women and weaker sections of the society.

The stem asks which is not true about the objectives of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Government of India's RTI portal, rti.gov.in, as captured on 21 October 2021, states the Act's objective in one sentence:

"The basic object of the Right to Information Act is to empower the citizens,promote transparency and accountability in the working of the Government,contain corruption, and make our democracy work for the people in real sense."

Options (1), (2) and (4) are all in that sentence: transparency and accountability, democracy working for the people in real sense, and empowering citizens.

Option (3) is not. The Act gives the right to all citizens alike; section 3 says "all citizens shall have the right to information". It is not framed around women and weaker sections as a group.

The idea to remember: RTI empowers citizens as citizens — transparency, accountability, less corruption, a working democracy.

Why the others are wrong

• (1)
  To promote transparency and accountability in the working of the government — This is a stated objective. The Act's long title says it provides a practical regime of right to information "in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority".

  The RTI portal's statement of the Act's basic object repeats transparency and accountability in the working of the Government.

• (2)
  To make our democracy work for the people in real sense — This is a stated objective, in almost the same words. The RTI portal says the basic object includes to "make our democracy work for the people in real sense".

  The Act's preamble gives the reason: democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information, vital to its functioning and to hold Governments accountable to the governed.

• (4)
  To empower citizens — This is the first objective the RTI portal names: the basic object of the Act is "to empower the citizens".

  The Act does this through section 3, under which all citizens shall have the right to information, subject to its provisions, and through time limits for answers from public authorities.

The Right to Information Act, 2005 (No. 22 of 2005) sets up a practical regime for citizens to get information held by public authorities.

An applicant "shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information" (section 6(2)). A Public Information Officer must provide the information or reject the request within thirty days, and within forty-eight hours where it concerns the life or liberty of a person (section 7(1)).

Refusals must rest on the exemptions in sections 8 and 9. The Act also constitutes a Central Information Commission and State Information Commissions to hear complaints and appeals.

Key facts

• RTI portal (rti.gov.in, capture of 21 October 2021): the Act's basic object is to empower citizens, promote transparency and accountability, contain corruption and make democracy work for the people.
• Section 3: subject to the Act, all citizens shall have the right to information.
• Section 6(2): an applicant need not give any reason for requesting information.
• Section 7(1): information within thirty days; within forty-eight hours if it concerns the life or liberty of a person.
• Long title: the Act promotes transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority and constitutes Central and State Information Commissions.

Common traps

• Accepting a welfare-sounding aim as an RTI objective: the Act gives the right to all citizens, not to a named group such as women or weaker sections.
• Taking 'contain corruption' as outside RTI: both the preamble and the RTI portal name it.
• Forgetting the time limits: thirty days in general, forty-eight hours when the information concerns life or liberty.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under section 7(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, where the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it shall be provided within

  • (a)24 hours
  • (b)48 hours
  • (c)7 days
  • (d)30 days
  Answer(2) — The proviso to section 7(1) sets forty-eight hours of the receipt of the request. Option (4), thirty days, is the general limit. Options (1) and (3) are not limits in section 7(1).
• practice — not a real PYQ

  Under section 6(2) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, a person requesting information

  • (a)must state the reason for the request
  • (b)need not give any reason, or personal details other than those needed to contact them
  • (c)must show that the information concerns them personally
  • (d)must first apply to the Information Commission
  Answer(2) — Section 6(2) says the applicant shall not be required to give any reason, or any personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him. Options (1), (3) and (4) add requirements the section does not impose.