Research contributions by Ms. Rushali Srivastava, third
year student of Institute of Law, Nirma University,
Ahmedabad
For the proper functioning of a democratic country, it is
imperative that information pertaining to the government is
accessible to citizens. This not only fosters transparency but also
makes the government officials accountable for their actions.
Further, an informed citizenry serves as a deterrent, dissuading
government officials from indulging in corrupt activities.
The erstwhile Freedom of Information Act, 2002, criticized heavily
for providing too many exemptions under the garb of national
security, failed to achieve the desired results. Thus, to overcome
the deficiencies in the former Act, Right to Information Act was
enacted by the Legislature. While that may be so, the Legislature
has also taken into account that certain information cannot be
disclosed. For instance, information involving commercial
confidence, intellectual property, or
