-->
Right to Information Act is a legal provision for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities. It came into existence to promote transparency and accountability particularly in the government machineries.
Each authority covered by the RTI Act must appoint their Public Information Officer (PIO). Any person may submit a written request to the PIO for information.
The Act covers the whole of India except Jammu and Kashmir. It is applicable on all constitutional authorities, including the executive, legislature and judiciary; any institution or body established or constituted by an act of Parliament or a state legislature.
t is also defined in the Act that bodies or authorities established or constituted by order or notification of appropriate government including bodies “owned, controlled or substantially financed” by government, or non-Government organizations “substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds” provided by the Government are also covered in the Act. The act specifies time limits for replying to the request.