Right to Information as an Instrumental Force of Good Governance in South Asia (original) (raw)
Related papers
Right to Information and Good Governance in India
2016
Accountability, transparency, freedom of speech and expressions etc; are inalienable feature of any democratic system. And the importance of these becomes more when it comes to such a diverse country like India. Right to Information Act, 2005 is a step ahead in achievement of these ideals. The preamble of the Act itself provides that “Democracy requires an informed citizenry and transparency of information which are vital to its functioning and also to contain corruption and to hold governments and their instrumentalities accountable to the governed”. The transformation from mere governance to good governance is possible only if the citizens of the country have right and access to information of and participation in the governance. The good governance is the governance in which people are served by their representatives not ruled by their representatives. Participation of people is sine qua non of any democratic form of government in achieving the ideal of good governance and RTI is...
Right to Information can be used to undertake social audit of govt. processes, programmes and schemes i.e., National Rural Employment Guarantee Schemes, Public Distribution Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services, Primary Health Services, Primary Education. Good Governance is an essential ingredient for socio-economic development of the country. The govt. of India and state govt. come out with new ideas and approaches but these don’t succeed when put to action because of lack of good governance. Good governance is a paramount importance in these times so far reaching changes. In this backdrop of major changes, we need to re-orient ourselves to deliver ways and means to promote good governance. No government of course can hope to survive without strong and effective good governance nor can an administrative system exist without the support of those was established to serve. The Judiciary also justified the role of Information in protecting the human rights and promotion of good governance.
Citizens' access to information in South Asia
A number of countries in South Asia have enacted Right to Information (RTI) legislation guaranteeing citizens the right to access information from their governments. However, levels of public awareness, implementation, and demand-led use of RTI vary across the region, even as citizens are increasingly sensitive to corruption and the lack of transparency in government. While there have been a number of efforts to promote the sharing of knowledge and good practices among RTI activists, civil society organizations, and government officials in the region, there has been limited investigation of the key factors that enable or prevent the effective implementation of RTI in countries in the region, with the exception of India. This Regional Synthesis Report brings together information collected through country diagnostic studies conducted by The Asia Foundation in partnership with civil society organizations in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The country diagnostic studies analyse the state of citizens’ access to information, and the implementation and use of RTI legislation in these countries. The findings from the country studies were presented at a regional workshop in Kathmandu for feedback and discussion of recommendations for country-specific and regional interventions to improve access to information in South Asia.
Right to Information and Good Governance: A Technical Dimension
University of North Bengal, 2020
The people's democratic responsibilities do not just begin or end with the right to cast their votes; they are also required to nurture the democratic system in the day-today functioning towards better Governance. While transparent Governance is an essential feature to restore accountability and increase in efficiency, accountability of the Governor to be governed is also an essential feature of good governance. The Right to Information is one such dimension that creates an environment of sharing of information and provides to each and every citizen of India the basic Constitutional and democratic right to gain access to certain information held by the Public Authority. The Right to Information can be said to have been heralded as one of the most significant reform towards the onset of public administration in India. This far reaching law is like a ray of hope which has the ability to disperse the darkness of secrecy and bad effects of corruption, and ensure transparency and accountability which are the hallmarks of an efficient and good going Governance. It basically acts as a catalyst which facilitates the onset of a new value system and rejuvenation of hope in order to establish a better, educated and a happier society.
RIGHT TO INFORMATION- A TOOL OF GOOD GOVERNACE
Corruption today is the greatest enemy of good governance and causing harm to democracy and development. People in India must bow their heads in shame as they are living in a country where every organ, activity and functions are conducted with corrupt practices. Whatever the number of institutions we create, they themselves become other dens of corruption. It seems that good governance and corruption cannot co-exist. If it cannot which is that element supporting such corrupt practices? The Answer is SECRECY. Secrecy in Government is the most important cause of corruption, inefficiency and irresponsiveness and an enemy to good governance. The purpose of this study to create the awareness in people about RTI. RTI has enabled people to participate in the process of development which has resulted in education of corruption and established an open and participatory governance system. Hence, in effect, RTI Reflects and promotes the social income interest of every citizen, particularly the poor, who are receiving the benefits of development as per their entitlements. RTI is potential tool which indicated with a view to expediting the process of human development.
IAR Consortium, 2021
The right to information is one of the most fundamental human rights for any functioning democracy. We are all entitled to know what people having governmental authority do in the public offices and how state resources are spent. In the absence of such information, there shall be no transparency, no accountability, and no opportunity for the people to take part in the democratic process. In this paper, an attempt has been made to understand how the right to information can be described as a fundamental human right. Further, it examines how is this right is being used to tackle the instances of corrupt behavior in public offices, particularly, in the context of India.
Right to Information: A Tool for Combating Corruption in India
This paper examines the effectiveness of Right to Information (RTI) Act as a tool for combating corruption in India. The RTI Act was promulgated in October 2005 to ensure transparency and good governance in the country. Based on content analysis and depth interviews with a few bureaucrats and activists, the paper indicates that RTI Act has succeeded in reducing information asymmetries and exposing corruption. Public servants have become relatively responsive and accountable to service since the promulgation of RTI Act.