“Right to Information Act” – a tool for good governance through ICT

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...