Right To Information ACT 2005

THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
1. What does Right to Information mean?
Section 2(j)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv) of the RTI Act, 05
"Right to information" means the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and includes the right to:-
(i) Inspection of work, documents, records;
(ii) Taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;
(iii) Taking certified samples of material;
(iv) Obtaining information in form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device.
2. What does information mean?
Section 2(f) of the RTI Act, 05
"Information" means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.3. What is Application Procedure for requesting information? Section 3,4,5 of the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005
A request for obtaining information under sub-section
(1) of Section 6 shall be accompanied by an application fee of Rupees ten by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the accounts Officer of the public authority.
For providing the information under sub-section (1) of section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts Officer of the public authority at the following rates :-
(a) Rupees two for each page (in A-4 or A-3 size paper) created or copied;
(b) Actual charge or cost price of a copy in larger size paper;
(c) Actual cost or price for samples or models; and
(d) For inspection of records, no fee for the first hour; and a fee of rupees five for each subsequent hour (or fraction thereof).
For providing the information under sub-section (5) of section 7, the fee shall be charged by way of cash against proper receipt or by demand draft or bankers cheque or Indian Postal Order payable to the Accounts officer of the public authority at the following rates:
(a) For information provided in diskette or floppy rupees fifty per diskette or floppy; and
(b) For information provided in printed form at the price fixed for such publication or rupees two per page or photocopy for extracts from the publication.4. What is the time limit to get the information? Section 7(1) (2) of the RTI Act, 05
(i) Subject to the proviso to sub-section
(2) of section 5 or the proviso to sub section
(3) of section 6, the CPIO or SPIO, as the case may be, on receipt of a request under section 6 shall, as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within 30 days of the receipt of the request, either provide the information on payment of such fee as may be prescribed or reject the request for any of the reason specified in sections 8 and 9.
(ii) Provided that where the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person, the same shall be provided within 48 hours of the receipt of the request.
(iii) If the CPIO or SPIO, as the case may be, fails to give decision on the request for information within the period specified under sub-section (1), the CPIO or SPIO, as the case may be, shall be deemed to have refused the request.