Right to information act 2005

1. P R Patil Institute of Pharmacy Talegaon SP Wardha
Presented By
Ashish R. Chaudhari
(M.Pharm)
Asst. Professor
P R Patil Institute of Pharmacy
Talegaon SP Wardha

2. What is RTI Act?
• Provides a legal framework of citizens’
democratic right to access to information
under the control of public authorities;
• To promote transparency and accountability
in the functioning of every public authority

3. Who is aPublic Authority?
“Public Authority” means any authority or institution established or
constituted
 By or under the constitution;
 By any other law made by Parliament;
 By any other law made by State Legislature;
 By notification issued or ordermade by the appropriate Government
and includes any
i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed,
ii) non – Government organizationsubstantially financed directly
or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;

4. What does ‘information’ mean ?
 Records
 Documents
 Memos
 Opinions & advices
 Press releases
 Circulars, orders & logbooks
 Contracts
 Reports, papers, samples & models

5. Need for RTI Act
• Because it helps to:
– Promote openness, transparency and
accountability in the working of every public
authority.
– Reduce Corruption
– Prevent administrative arbitrariness
– Bride the gap between providers and recipient
of public services
– Make citizens part of decision making
– Make administrative responsive
– Strengthen the foundations of democracy

6. Procedure for requesting information
 Apply in writing or through electronic means in English or
Hindi or in the official language of the area, to the Public
Information Officer [PIO], specifying the particulars of the
information sought for.
 Reason for seeking information are not required to be given;
 Pay fees as may be prescribed

7. Application fee Rs. 10/- .
If informationis required in electronic media – floppy/ CD, etc
additional charges will be applicable.
Photocopy charges of Rs. 2/- per page.
Inspection charges of relevant files, documents and records –
* No fee for first hour of inspection.
* Rs. 5/- for every subsequent hour or fraction thereof.
FEES AND CHARGES

8. Processing expenses incurred by the Public Information
officer to be intimated in writing.
Applicant can seek review of the decision on fees charged by
the PIO by applying to the appropriate Appellate Authority;
No fees from people living below the poverty line.
Free of cost if the PIO fails to comply within the time limit as
prescribed under the RTI Act.
FEES AND CHARGES

9. 30 days if application is filed with the PIO.
35 days in case it is filed with the Assistant PIO.
48 hours in case the matter to which the
information pertains affects the life and liberty
of an individual.
Time limits to get the information

10. Penalties
• The penalty levied under the RTI Act
at the rate of Rs. 250/- a day, up to a
maximum of Rs. 25,000/-, is recovered
from the salary of officials.

11. Coverage
RTI Act came into effect on 12th October 2005.
• Covers central, state and local governments and all bodies owned,
controlledor substantially financed by the respective Governments;
Section 2(h)
• Non-government organization substantially financed directly or
indirectlyby funds provided by the appropriate government.
Section 2 (e)
• Executive, judiciary and legislature
• Includes information relating to private body which can be
accessed by under any other law for the time being in force. Section
2 (f)

12. What if you don’t get information requested?
If you don’t get proper response or requested information from
public authority or from its pubic information officer within 30
calendar days, you can file complaint with Information Commission or
file an appeal with first appellate authority.
Similarly, you can file complaint or appeal (as above) for late response
or for demand of cost of information which is unreasonable.

13. Where and how to file first appeal?
You will have to move an appeal application along with the prescribed
appeal fee. In Maharashtra, it is court fee stamp of INR 20/-. In Central
Government offices, there is no fee. First appellate authority is the
officer senior to public information officer.
On receipt of your appeal, this appellate authority will call an
explanation from PIO, might invite you to hear you and will pass an
reasonable order within 30-45 days.

14. Where and how to file Second appeal?
If you are not satisfied with response of public information officer and
order passed on your appeal by first appellate authority of particular
public authority, you can file second appeal with State Information
Commissioner or Central Information Commissioner, as the case may be.
There is no prescribed time limit for getting response or order at this level.
Too many cases are piled up with these offices.

15. EXEMPTIONS FROM DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
a) National security
b) Sovereignty and Integrity
Of India
c) Contempt of court
d) Parliamentary privilege
e) Trade secrecy
f) Fiduciary relationship
g) Foreign government
h) Safety of informer in law
enforcement
i) Investigation
j) Cabinet papers
k) Privacy
l) Intellectual Property

16. Abbreviations in RTI Act
APIO Assistant Public Information Officer
PIO Public Information Officer
AA Appellate Authority
IC Information Commissioner
SIC State Information Commissioner
CIC Central Information Commissioner
DOPT Department of Personnel & Training

17. Reference
1. A Text book of Pharmaceutical Jurisprudence by Dr. B. S.
Kuchekar
2. RTI Act
https://rti.gov.in/rtiact.asp