Key Concepts & Self-Assessment15 Key Facts
Review key Right to Information (RTI Act 2005): Central Information Commission exam facts and rate your mastery to track revision.
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#1
The RTI Act, 2005 stems from Article 19(1)(a) and replaced the earlier Freedom of Information Act, 2002.
#2
Public Information Officers must provide information within 30 days, or within 48 hours if life and liberty are at stake.
#3
Section 8 lists exemptions from disclosure, which can be superseded by larger public interest under Section 8(2).
#4
The CIC is a statutory body under Section 12, headed by a Chief Information Commissioner and up to 10 Information Commissioners.
#5
The RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019 gave the Central Government the authority to prescribe tenures and salaries of commissioners.
#6
Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act imposes an affirmative duty on public authorities to proactively disclose seventeen operational manuals and organizational details via suo motu publication.
#7
The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), founded by Aruna Roy in Rajasthan during 1990, initiated the grassroots struggle for transparency through public hearings called Jan Sunwais.
#8
Section 7(1) mandates that Central Public Information Officers must respond within thirty days, but if an application involves allegations of human rights violations by scheduled security agencies, the timeline is forty-five days.
#9
Section 19 provides a two-tier appellate mechanism, allowing a first appeal within thirty days to a senior departmental officer and a second appeal within ninety days to the CIC or SIC.
#10
Under Section 20, the Information Commission can impose a financial penalty of 250 rupees per day, up to a maximum ceiling of 25,000 rupees, on errant PIOs for unreasonable refusal.
#11
Section 24 exempts central intelligence and security organisations specified in the Second Schedule, such as the Intelligence Bureau and RAW, except in cases concerning corruption and human rights violations.
#12
The selection committee for appointing the Chief Information Commissioner comprises the Prime Minister as chairperson, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister.
#13
Wajahat Habibullah served as India's first Chief Information Commissioner following the operationalisation of the Central Information Commission on October 12, 2005.
#14
In Central Public Information Officer v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (2019), a five-judge Constitution Bench held that the office of the Chief Justice of India constitutes a public authority under Section 2(h).
#15
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, enacting a blanket exemption on disclosing personal information without the earlier public-interest caveat.
Subject Specialist Commentary
Analytical perspective & practical exam advice from the Master10 academic board
The Right to Information Act of 2005 revolutionized democratic governance by empowering citizens to inspect official records. Flowing from free expression under Article 19(1)(a), the statute replaced the Freedom of Information Act of 2002. It mandates proactive disclosure by public authorities under Section 4 and requires Public Information Officers to provide answers within thirty days, or within forty-eight hours if life and personal liberty are involved.
For UPSC Prelims and State PSC polity papers, focus on statutory timelines and commission appointments. A classic question trap tests emergency response deadlines: remember that information must be delivered within forty-eight hours when life or personal liberty is involved. In governance MCQs, note that the Central Information Commission is a statutory body under Section 12, appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Opposition Leader, and a nominated Union Minister.
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