Usages of RTI in Rural Rajasthan, India - Consumer Unity & Trust ...

PrefaceDemocratic freedom cannot be guaranteed under conditions where the basic characteristicsof political democracy are stifled. Information enters the debate on governance at thispoint, basically from two perspectives: the freedom of speech, organisation and freedom of themedia. Citizens cannot be free if every channel of basic democratic freedom is not freelyaccessible to them. Secondly, the right to seek and receive information is part and parcel ofhuman rights. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and its twin Article 19of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), guarantees the same.To that extent, Article 19 prohibits states from interfering with the enjoyment of these rights,requiring them to take practical steps to ensure freedom of expression. This includes legislativeor other regulatory frameworks, as well as ‘practical’ positive measures. The issue here is notaccess to information per se, but also ‘equitable’ access to information, including governmentheldinformation. It is obvious that access to government-held information is the basis fordemocracy and public participation in ensuring accountability in governance. Such access isdifficult to obtain where legislative frameworks and review mechanisms for implementationare absent.The plea here is not for piecemeal access to information but for systematically integratinginformation in the debate on fundamental public issues into an accessible source. Democracyrevolves around the basic tenet of citizens being at the centre of governance – rule of thepeople. Since the government is run on behalf of the people, they have a right to be informeddirectly.The RTI Act, 2005 was enacted by the Parliament of India, giving Indian citizens’ access togovernment-held information. While the RTI Act is widely heralded as a tool to contain corruptionin public life, it is also significant for its affirmation of the basic principle of the government’saccountability to its people. The RTI underscores the idea that democratic governance requiresan informed citizenry and that lack of transparency in government conceals the operation ofvested interests against public interest. By facilitating the public’s participation in governance,RTI is potentially leading the way to a truly participatory democracy.Model Framework for Replication: Usages of RTI in Rural Rajasthan, Indiav