Right to information act and sustainable development

Abstract

This paper attempts to explore how the “Right to Information Act, 2005” is impacting the idea of achieving sustainable development in India. The Right to Information Act, 2005 falling under the fundamental right to Freedom of Speech and Expression i.e. article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution is an important aspect of right to free speech and expression including the right to receive and collect information. A fully informed citizen can efficiently render the fundamental duties as laid in the article 51A of the Indian Constitution. Citizens’ access to information ensures the transparency and accountability of the governance and the two always go hand in hand. The Right to Information Act along with being the necessity of the people is also a precondition for good governance. Access to Information makes the democracy vibrant and encourages citizens’ active participation in the governance. It encourages people to make meaningful choices, and influence policies and their implementation, and thus affect the overall development of the society. The RTI has a long international history and is prevailing in Sweden for past 200 years. In India, RTI was introduced in 2005 and since then has been used as a strong weapon against corruption and for transparency. Sustainable Development is the development that meets the present needs efficiently without compromising the scope of development for future generations. The widespread health hazards and environmental degradation through the projects undertaken in the name of economic progress have emphasized the need for economic development in a sustainable manner. RTI has emerged as a “VAJRA” for the public spirited people and NGOs fighting the environmental crisis to achieve sustainable development. The Act has been efficiently used to expose hundreds of cases of illegal mining, over heighted dams, encroachments of protected wildlife areas, illegal permissions to hazardous projects, etc. Several such cases have been studied to explore and document positive impact of RTI on sustainable development as well as bring out related issues such as persecution of the whistle blowers.