“Right to Information Act” – a tool for good governance through ICT
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14779961211285890 |
| Published date | 23 November 2012 |
| Date | 23 November 2012 |
| Pages | 273-287 |
| Author | Shalini Singh,Bhaskar Karn |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
“Right to Information Act” –
a tool for good governance
through ICT
Shalini Singh
Department of MBA, Cambridge Institute of Technology,
Ranchi University, Ranchi, India, and
Bhaskar Karn
Birla Institute of Technology, Ranchi, India
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the evolution of Freedom of Information/Right to
Information from an international perspective and analyse it as an indispensable tool for good
governance through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) with special
reference to India.
Design/methodology/approach – This study examines the worldwide occurrence of Right to
Information with reference to International Covenants, the genesis of RTI Act in India and the use of
ICT in India as a tool for empowering the citizen’s.
Findings – The study demonstrates that RTI has far reaching impact and it clearly contributes to a
better and informed citizenry however the use of ICT in India can further facilitate the access of such
records.
Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on the genesis of RTI from an
international perspective but the use of ICT for further facilitating the use of RTI is limited to Indian
context.
Practical implications – The paper will outline a detailed analysis on the present usage of ICT and
the initiatives taken for facilitating information dissemination and further provide suggestions for the
benefit of civil society towards good governance.
Originality/value – The study is the first to address the issue of the implementation of right to
information act through the use of ICT and also suggests methodology for its further improvement.
Also, the study comprehends the genesis of RTI both from the international as well as Indian
perspective.
Keywords Right to information,ICT, Good governance, Public administration, Rural development,
Information andcommunication technologies, India
Paper type Conceptual paper
1. Introduction
We live in what is known as the “information age”, an age that has witnessed a
technological revolution that allows information to be transmitted easily and swiftly
around the world. Even so, over the last few years, there has been an increasing demand
for greater accessibility to information, mostly with a view to curbing corruption and
promoting greater accountability of government agencies towards the citizens. This
article considers the Right to Information Act, 2005 (RTI) in India, and it argues that the
exploitation of information and communication technology (ICT) is essential to the
success of increasing RTI and thus to the strength of India’s democratic governance.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/1477-996X.htm
A tool for good
governance
273
Received 1 November 2011
Revised 2 June 2012
Accepted 20 July 2012
Journal of Information,
Communication and Ethics in Society
Vol. 10 No. 4, 2012
pp. 273-287
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1477-996X
DOI 10.1108/14779961211285890
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