Transparency and Right to Information

The Right to Information Act, 2005 was promulgated on 15th June, 2005 with the aim of promoting transparency and accountability in the working of all the Public Authorities constituted by the Government. The Act confers on every citizen the Right to Information under the control of these Public Authorities. It is one of the most vital legislations enacted in post - independent India for the preservation and vitalization of democracy. The democratic governance does not come without bottlenecks/dangers. In the context of dangers to democracy Mahatma Gandhi, said that "there is no human institution but has its dangers. The greater the institution, the greater would be the chances of abuse. Democracy is a great institution and, therefore, it is liable to be greatly abused. The remedy, therefore, is not avoidance of democracy, but reduction of possibility of abuse to a minimum.” The book makes an attempt to investigate whether the implementation of such legislations has brought in any significant change in the level of corruption in public governance in India. The book also presents the strategies into combating corruption with the help of Right to Information Act, 2005.