When the Right to Information Act was passed in 2005, it marked a turning point in Indian democracy. For the first time, any citizen could demand official records and expect a reply within 30 days. RTI shifted power away from the state and towards the public by placing the burden of proof on the government, not on ordinary people. What made it revolutionary was its accessibility: it was cheap, fast and enforceable. It was a tool for every citizen.
RTI produced historic results. It helped expose major scams such as the 2G spectrum scam, the Commonwealth Games scandal, and the Adarsh Housing scam. It revealed how demonetisation was pushed through even though the Reserve Bank of India had warned against it. It forced banks to disclose the names of wilful loan defaulters and pushed the Supreme Court to order the RBI to reveal inspection reports of public sector banks. It revealed how the electoral bonds scheme enabled opaque political funding. RTI also had an everyday impact: people used it to correct ration cards, secure unpaid pensions, track MGNREGA wages and expose local-level corruption. It became a weapon of dignity.
RTI worked because the law created independent Information Commissions with the power to order disclosure and penalise officials. At its peak, the fear of penalties forced transparency. But over time, this accountability structure has been slowly weakened. Commissions across the country have been left without chiefs or sufficient members for months or even years. Today, the Central Information Commission has only a handful of commissioners handling tens of thousands of cases. When there is no one to hear appeals, the law exists only on paper.
Backlogs have grown to more than 4 lakh pending cases. In some states, citizens wait four to five years for an appeal to even be heard. “Information delayed is information denied” has turned from a warning into a reality. Even when cases are finally decided, penalties on officials are rare. This creates a culture where delay and denial are easier than disclosure.
And yet, despite these challenges, RTI still matters. It continues to be used by journalists, activists, lawyers and ordinary citizens. It still reveals corruption, still exposes misuse of power and still gives people the confidence to question authority. The law has survived not because the state protects it, but because people continue to use it.
RTI began as a radical promise. It affirmed that in a democracy, the government must answer to the people. Twenty years later, that promise has weakened, but it has not disappeared. As long as we keep asking questions, the right to know cannot be fully taken away. RTI started as people’s movement, and its future will depend on whether we continue to defend it.
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