The traditional model of public administration often relied on secrecy, but a healthy democracy requires the public to know how their taxes are being used. The Right to Information Act 2005 emerged to resolve this tension by establishing a legal mandate for government openness.

This episode explores the long history of the RTI movement in India, tracing it from early Supreme Court cases in the 1970s to the grassroots activism of the 1990s. We look at the specific mechanisms that allow citizens to question authority and the institutional role of Information Commissions in upholding these rights.

• Grassroots organizations like the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan played a pivotal role in advocating for national RTI legislation.
• Public authorities are now mandated to preserve and computerize records to ensure information is eas ...