Vidhi Codex

The Right to Information Act, 2005

The Right to Information Act, 2005

General200531 sections6 chapters

The Right to Information Act, 2005 empowers all Indian citizens to request and obtain documents from public authorities, promoting transparency and institutional accountability. The law regulates how government departments, state run bodies, and government funded organizations manage, publish, and disclose official records to the public within a standard period of thirty days. It applies to government entities across India, with narrow exemptions for national security and personal privacy. This legislation matters because it gives citizens a powerful legal tool to combat corruption, inspect public operations, and demand answers, thereby strengthening democratic participation and holding public servants directly and legally accountable.

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Chapter I PRELIMINARY →

  1. 1Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. 2Definitions.

Chapter II RIGHT TO INFORMATION AND OBLIGATIONS OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES →

  1. 3Right to information.
  2. 4Obligations of public authorities.
  3. 5Designation of Public Information Officers.
  4. 6Request for obtaining information.
  5. 7Disposal of request.
  6. 8Exemption from disclosure of information.
  7. 9Grounds for rejection to access in certain cases.
  8. 10Severability.
  9. 11Third party information.

Chapter III THE CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION →

  1. 12Constitution of Central Information Commission.
  2. 13Terms of office and conditions of service.
  3. 14Removal of Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioner.

Chapter IV THE STATE INFORMATION COMMISSION →

  1. 15Constitution of State Information Commission.
  2. 16Term of office and conditions of service.
  3. 17Removal of State Chief Information Commissioner or State Information Commissioner.

Chapter V POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE INFORMATION COMMISSIONS, APPEAL AND PENALTIES →

  1. 18Powers and functions of Information Commissions.
  2. 19Appeal.
  3. 20Penalties.

Chapter VI MISCELLANEOUS →

  1. 21Protection of action taken in good faith.
  2. 22Act to have overriding effect.
  3. 23Bar of jurisdiction of courts.
  4. 24Act not to apply to certain organisations.
  5. 25Monitoring and reporting.
  6. 26Appropriate Government to prepare programmes.
  7. 27Power to make rules by appropriate Government.
  8. 28Power to make rules by competent authority.
  9. 29Laying of rules.
  10. 30Power to remove difficulties.
  11. 31Repeal.