Que : -Right to Information Act (RTI) is a path-breaking law. It has signaled a shift from the darkness of secrecy to transparency. Comment.

        The Right to Information Act is one of the most powerful and progressive laws passed in independent India. It empowers citizens by promoting transparency and accountability in the functioning of every public authority. It increases efficiency in public officials, reduces corruption and promotes good governance.

• Before the enactment of RTI, there were many inequalities in Indian administration. Which kept India in the darkness of secrecy and after the Official Secrets Act of 1923 in India, the disclosure of information in public administrative authorities was regulated, which promoted secrecy and opacity in administration.

• This has increased distrust of the government among the people in India and reduced the values ​​of transparency in democracy.

• The passage of the RTI Act in the year 2005 brought about an unprecedented change in the governance system. It has empowered the people in various ways.

• Role of the RTI Act:

•  RTI provides citizens with access to public information and promotes transparency in governance as well as creates accountability in the officials.
•  RTI promotes citizen-centric governance by ensuring easy access to information to the citizens and provides the foundation for participatory democracy.
• Civil society organizations and media work to reduce corruption in governance by using RTI.
•  Due to the entry into the field of RTI, transparency has come in the public distribution system, pension, road construction, electricity connection and telecommunication sectors.
•  RTI has also made a significant contribution in developing qualities like honesty, accountability among public servants
  
•  Challenges to the implementation of the RTI Act:

•  Lack of public awareness regarding the right to information in rural and remote areas.
• Lack of proper system for proper management, dissemination and storage of information.
• Inability of Public Information Officers (PIOs) to dispose of RTI applications.
•  Secrecy mindset of bureaucracy, which makes people oblivious to the norms of confidentiality.
•  Currently, more than 2 lakh RTI cases are pending.
•  Free flow of information in India remains severely restricted by the legal framework. Such as, “Official Secrets Act, 1923”

                           Thus, to prove the right to information as a guideline, government institutions under ‘Open Data Policy’ should automatically put all the information that can be disclosed on the website and maintain a balance with the right to privacy.