Right to Information Notes | B.Com. LL.B. (Five Years) Semester 8 | KSLU | munotes

Contents

Unit I

1. Right to Information: What This Paper Covers, and How to Read This Book 1
2. The Right to Information in a Democracy 4
3. Freedom of Information in Sweden 8
4. Freedom of Information in the United States 11
5. Freedom of Information in the United Kingdom 14
6. The Right to Information in International Law 16
7. The Right to Information in India Before 2005 18
8. Transparency and the Right to Information: a Constitutional Imperative 22
9. The Supreme Court and the Right to Know 29

Unit II

1. The RTI Act 2005: Object, Application, Definitions and Salient Features 33
2. The Definitions of the RTI Act 40
3. Obligations of Public Authorities and How a Request Is Made 45
4. The Appropriate Government, Proactive Disclosure and File Notings 52
5. Exemptions from Disclosure 57
6. Privacy and the Right to Information 64

Unit III

1. The Central and State Information Commissions 69
2. Appeals and Penalties under the RTI Act 76
3. Hurdles in the Implementation of the RTI Act 83

Unit IV

1. The Official Secrets Act, 1923 91
2. The Official Secrets Act and the RTI Act 96
3. Government Privilege in Legal Proceedings and State Secrets 100
4. The Public Records Act, 1993 106
5. The Public Records Rules, 1997 111
6. The Freedom of Information Act, 2002 115
7. Public Inquiries and the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1952 119
8. The Commissions of Inquiry (Central) Rules, 1972 126
9. Whistleblowers' Protection: the Act of 2014 and the PIDPI Resolution 129

Unit V

1. The Supreme Court on the RTI Act: Examinations and Recruitment 138
2. The Supreme Court on the RTI Act: Public Authorities and Personal Information 142
3. The Supreme Court on the RTI Act: the Judiciary, the Banks and the Commissions 145
4. Best Practices in the Right to Information 149
5. Commission Decisions: Police and Revenue 154
6. Commission Decisions: PWD, CPWD and Irrigation 159
7. Commission Decisions: Secretariat and Local Authorities 164
8. Commission Decisions: BSNL and Posts and Telegraphs 168
9. Commission Decisions: Scheduled Banks 172
10. Commission Decisions: Income Tax and Central Excise 176