Bharats Handbook on Right to Information Act, 2005 by Dr Niraj Kumar

Contents:
DIVISION I
THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005
(For detailed synopsis, see respective section)

Chapter I: Preliminary
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.

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

Chapter III: The Central Information Commission
12. Constitution of Central Information Commission.
13. Term of office and conditions of service.
14. Removal of Chief Information Commissioner or Information Commissioner.

Chapter IV: The State Information Commission
15. Constitution of State Information Commission.
16. Term of office and conditions of service.
17. Removal of State Chief Information Commissioner or State Information Commissioner.

Chapter V: Powers and functions of the Information Commissions, Appeal and Penalties
18. Powers and functions of Information Commissions.
19. Appeal.
20. Penalties.

CHAPTER VI: Miscellaneous
21. Protection of action taken in good faith.
22. Act to have overriding effect.
23. Bar of jurisdiction of courts.
24. Act not to apply to certain organisations.
25. Monitoring and reporting.
26. Appropriate Government to prepare programmes.
27. Power to make rules by appropriate Government.
28. Power to make rules by competent authority.
29. Laying of rules.
30. Power to remove difficulties.
31. Repeal.
FIRST SCHEDULE: Form of Oath or Affirmation to be made by the Chief Information Commissioner/ The Information Commissioner/The State Chief Information Commissioner/The State Information Commissioner.
SECOND SCHEDULE: Intelligence and Security Organisation Established by the Central Government Right to Information Rules, 2012.

Division II: RULES
Right to Information (Term of Office, Salaries, Allowances and Other Terms and Conditions of Service of Chief Information Commissioner, Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission, State Chief Information Commissioner and State Information Commissioners in the State Information Commission) Rules, 2019.
Lok Sabha Secretariat Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005.
Rajya Sabha Secretariat Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005.

Division III: MISCELLANEOUS
1. Information to be Published (Made Public) by Public Authorities.
2. List of Important Web-Sites.
3. List of State Information Commission Web-Sites.
4. List of NGOs on RTI Web-Sites.
5. List of Important Volunteers/NGOs Helping RTI Movement.
6. RTI Activists/Volunteers/Contacts helping RTI movement in Uttar Pradesh.
7. List of RTI Activists all across the country.
8. RTI Application Fee by State Governments.
9. RTI Appellants: Know your Rights.
10. RTI Act in Nutshell.
11. How to Get Information of Private Entity?

Division IV: SPECIMEN FORMS
1. Specimen Form of Application for Obtaining Information.
2. Specimen Form A: Application for Obtaining Information under Right of Information Act, 2005, section 6.
3. Specimen Form of Acknowledgement of Application.
4. Specimen Form of Intimation for Payment of Fee for Information.
5. Specimen Form of Providing Information.
6. Specimen Form of for Intimation of Rejection of Application for Providing Information.
7. Specimen Form of Application if Wrong Document/s is/are Provided.
8. Specimen Form of Application if Wrong Information is Provided.
9. Specimen form of Application for Obtaining Supplementary Information/s.
10. Specimen Form of Appeal.
11. Specimen Form of Acknowledgement of Appeal.
12. Specimen Form of First Appeal.
13. Specimen Form of First Appeal.
14. Specimen Form of First Appeal.
15. Specimen Form of First Appeal.
16. Specimen Form of First Appeal.
17. Specimen Complaint to be filed with CIC/SIC, and Operative Guidelines for Filing Non-compliance of Orders of Information Commissions.

Division V: SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS ON RTI
1. Right to Information.
2. Have you ever thought?
3. How do we hold the government accountable?
4. Do not Pay Bribes?
5. Using RTI is simple.
6. Understanding and Using RTI.
7. What is information.
8. Coverage and applicability.
9. Obligations of public authorities.
10. Public Information Officers (PIOs)
11. Applying for information.
12. How does a “PIO” deal with your application.
13. Fees.
14. Time Limits.
15. Third Party.
16. Information which cannot be disclosed.
17. Exemptions.
18. Appeals.
19. Central and State Information Commissions.
20. Some more shortcomings.
21. Important Guidelines.
22. Remember Basic Principles.
23. Trick in Asking Questions.
24. Some common problems and sample questions.
(1) Sanitation.
(2) Garbage bin not being cleaned.
(3) Social audit.
(4) Do you have a broken road?
(5) Public distribution system.
(6) MLA/MPLAD/MLC Funds.
(7) Misuse of cars.
(8) Monitoring vigilance.
(9) Grievance redressal machinery.
(10) Inspecting government work — hit corruption at the root.
(11) Taking hisaab (Accounts) from the Government.
(12) How does Government Handle Corruption Cases.
(13) Status of all corruption complaints received.
(14) How to get effective sanitation services in your area.
(15) Encroachments.
(16) Not getting passport.
(17) Take copies of ration documents.
(18) Water problem.
(19) Street lights not functioning.
(20) Horticulture.
(21) Details of all roads which are cut.
(22) Details of “street and road works” carried out.
(23) Seeking records about water management.
(24) Copies of all works carried out in a ward.
(25) Commercialization.
(26) Pending work in any government department.
(27) Gas cylinder delivery.
(28) Inspect government works.
(29) Maintenance of public parks.
(30) Regular sweeping of your locality.