Right to Information (RTI) is an Act of the Parliament of India to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens and replaces the erstwhile Freedom of information Act, 2002. Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen of India may request information from a 'public authority' (a body of Government or 'instrumentality of State') which is required to reply expeditiously or within thirty days. The Act also requires every public authority to computerize their records for wide dissemination and to proactively certain categories of information so that the citizens need minimum recourse to request for information formally.
This law was passed by Parliament on 15 June 2005 and came fully into force on 12 October 2005. The first application was given to a Pune police station. Information disclosure in India was restricted by the Official Secrets Act 1923 and various other special laws, which the new RTI Act relaxes. It codifies a fundamental right of citizens.
Private bodies are not within the Act's ambit directly. In a decision of Sarbjit roy vs Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission,[1] the Central Information Commission also reaffirmed that privatized public utility companies fall within the purview of RTI.[2] As of 2014, private institutions and NGOs receiving over 95% of their infrastructure funds from the government come under the Act.[3] Right to Information Act 2005 mandates timely response to citizen requests for government information. It is an initiative taken by Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions to provide a RTI Portal Gateway to the citizens for quick search of information on the details of first Appellate Authorities, PIOs etc. amongst others, besides access to RTI related information / disclosures published on the web by various Public Authorities under the Government of India as well as the State Governments.
References
[1]http://www.rti.india.gov.in/cic_decisions/Decision_30112006_12.pdf
[2]http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-10-03/news/30238465_1_rti-act-public-information-officer-pio
[3]http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/private-institutions-ngos-now-come-under-rti-act-information-commissioner/article6688274.ece
Officers to Contact
1) 1st Appellate Authority
Dr. Fr. Benny K. John, CSC
Principal
Holy Cross College
Phone No. :+91 940 231 5672, (0381) 2915930
2) PIO
Fr. Joe Paul, CSC
Vice-Principal
Holy Cross College
Phone No. :+91 940 231 5672, (0381) 2915930
RTI