Article on Right to Information in India: An Effective Tool to Tackle Corruption
September 28 is celebrated internationally as Right to Know Day, highlighting the critical importance of people’s right to access information held by their governments. In India, following a nationwide campaign led by grassroots and civil society organizations, the government passed a landmark Right to Information Act in 2005. Since then, social activists, civil society organizations, and ordinary citizens have effectively used the Act to tackle corruption and bring greater transparency and accountability in the government.
Right to Information laws, or “sunshine” laws as they are commonly called, grant citizens the legal right to access information held by their governments, bringing much-needed transparency in the otherwise opaque functioning of government. Globally, more than 80 countries have now enacted such laws, with the list growing each year. India’s RTI Act is internationally recognized as a strong and effective law.
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