TRANSPARENCY IN PUBLIC SECTOR GOVERNANCE: THE ROLE OF THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v5.i6.2024.3817Keywords:
Transparency, Public Sector Governance, Right to Information Act, Accountability, Corruption, Citizen Participation, Data Privacy, Bureaucratic Challenges, Democratic GovernanceAbstract [English]
Transparency in governance is a cornerstone of a democratic society, ensuring accountability, reducing corruption, and fostering public trust in administrative processes. The Right to Information (RTI) Act, enacted in 2005 in India, has been a transformative tool in enhancing transparency within the public sector. This paper explores the role of the RTI Act in improving public sector governance, with a focus on its mechanisms for providing citizens access to information, fostering participatory governance, and promoting accountability among public officials. The discussion highlights significant success stories where RTI has exposed corruption and inefficiencies, as well as its broader impact on decision-making and resource allocation in the public sector.
Despite its transformative potential, the implementation of the RTI Act is fraught with challenges, including bureaucratic resistance, lack of awareness among citizens, resource constraints, and the need to balance transparency with data privacy and confidentiality. Addressing these issues through technological innovation, capacity-building initiatives, and stronger legal frameworks is essential for realizing the full potential of the RTI Act in public governance.
The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of the RTI Act in fostering a culture of openness and accountability while proposing recommendations for overcoming the practical barriers to its effective implementation.
References
Cited Works and Legislative Documents
Right to Information Act, 2005. Government of India.
The Constitution of India.
National Portal for RTI.
Transparency International India (2020). "State of RTI: A Study of Transparency in Public Governance."
India’s Right to Information: A Critical Overview by Sandeep Pathak, (2016).
Central Information Commission (CIC) Annual Reports.
The National Right to Information Act (RTI) Guidelines, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Government of India.
Reports and Case Studies on RTI Implementation
Case Study: RTI and Governance in Rajasthan - A Success Story.
RTI and Public Sector Governance in India: A Report by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), 2019.
Civil Society Organizations’ Role in RTI: A Report by the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), 2018.
India’s RTI Act: Impact and Effectiveness – A Study by the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), 2017.
State-wise Analysis of RTI Implementation: A Report by the Right to Information Foundation, 2020.
Annual Report of the Central Information Commission, 2019-2020.
The Role of RTI in Combating Corruption: A Case Study of the Bofors Scandal (1980s).
RTI and E-Governance: A Case Study from Kerala.
Public Sector Transparency and RTI: A Comparative Study of India and Other Democracies by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), 2021.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Raghuveer Pujari, Dr. Priyanka Joshi
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