Peoples’ Assessments of the RTI Regime in India
In order to objectively assess the use of the RTI law and its functioning, SNS in collaboration with other civil society groups has been undertaking peoples’ assessments of the implementation of the RTI Act. Click on the title below to access the assessment report..
1. Report Card of Information Commissions, 2022-23
2. ‘Report Card of Information Commissions, 2021-22’
3. Report Card of Information Commissions 2020-21
4. Report Card of Information Commissions, 2019-20
5. Status of Information Commissions in India during Covid-19 Crisis, May 2020
6. Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2019
7. Adjudicating the RTI Act: Analysis of orders of the Central Information Commission
8. Preliminary findings of assessment of orders of the Central Information Commission, 2018
9. Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2018
10. Tilting the Balance of Power: Adjudicating the RTI Act, 2017
11. Peoples’ monitoring of the RTI regime in India 2011-13’, released in 2014
12. ‘Safeguarding the Right To Information’, RaaG & National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI), 2009
13. EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INFORMATION, The Evolution of Transparency Regimes in South Asia, Volume I: Essays, Status Reports, Case Studies, TAG & RIB, 2015
14. EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INFORMATION, The Evolution of Transparency Regimes in South Asia, Volume II: Empirical Studies, TAG & RIB, 2015
1. Report Card of Information Commissions, 2022-23
October 12, 2023 marks 18 years of implementation of the RTI Act in India. Satark Nagrik Sangathan has compiled a report on the performance of information commissions across the country based on information accessed under the RTI Act. The report titled, ‘Report Card of Information Commissions 2022-23’ can be accessed here.
English and Hindi Press Release of key findings can be accessed here.
2. Report Card of Information Commissions, 2021-22
October 12, 2022 marks 17 years of implementation of the RTI Act in India. Satark Nagrik Sangathan has compiled a report on the performance of information commissions across the country based on information accessed under the RTI Act. The Report titled, ‘Report Card of Information Commissions 2021-22’ can be accessed here.
English and Hindi Press Release of key findings can be accessed here.
3. Report Card of Information Commissions 2020-21
4. Report Card of Information Commission, October 2019-20
This report examines the performance of commissions across the country during the period 2019-20 in terms of the number of appeals and complaints registered and disposed, number of pending cases, estimated waiting time for the disposal of an appeal/complaint, frequency of violations penalised by commissions and transparency in their working. Read the report.
5. Status of Information Commissions in India during Covid-19 Crisis, May 2020
This report examines the functioning of information commissions in India during the lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of whether the information commissions had: issued any notification regarding the status of their functioning during the lockdown; made any provision for hearing urgent matters and; whether they were hearing appeals/complaints as of May 15, 2020. In addition, information has been collated for each commission on: the number of commissioners; quantum of backlog of appeals/complaints; and whether the website is functional. Read the report.
6. Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2019
This report examines the performance of commissions across the country in terms of the number of appeals and complaints registered and disposed by them, number of pending cases, estimated waiting time for the disposal of an appeal/complaint, frequency of violations penalised by commissions and transparency in their working. Read the report.
7. Adjudicating the RTI Act: Analysis of orders of the Central Information Commission
The report assesses the quality of orders of the CIC based on a random sample of the orders. The assessment examines whether the orders are reasoned and record essential facts, are in compliance with the provisions of the law, penalise violations of the RTI Act and progressively interpret the law. Read the report.
8. Preliminary findings of assessment of orders of the Central Information Commission, 2018
The report is based on an analysis of a sample of orders of the CIC. The report assesses the orders on the basis of-
9. Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2018- Key Findings
This report analyses the performance of information commissions in India in terms of the number of appeals and complaints registered and disposed by the ICs, the number of pending appeals and complaints, the estimated waiting time for the disposal of an appeal, availability of annual reports of ICs, frequency of violations penalised by ICs and transparency in the functioning of ICs. The report by SNS & CES, covers all 29 Information Commissions in India which have been set up under the RTI Act, 2005.
Read the report
Read the key findings of the report
10. Tilting the Balance of Power: Adjudicating the RTI Act, 2017
This report focuses on the independent adjudicators of the RTI Act- the information commissions, the high courts, and the Supreme Court of India. The report provides a detailed analysis of the orders of these adjudicators pertaining to the RTI Act.
The assessment by SNS & RaaG (Research, Assessment & Advocacy Group) covers a sample of 2,000 orders of the Central Information Commission and the State Information Commissions of Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam, all the High Courts and all the orders of the Supreme Court related to the RTI Act.
Read the report.
Read a brochure on the report.
Read articles in the media on the report- Times of India, Times of India (Pg 17), EPW, Amar Ujala, Nav Bharat Times, The Telegraph, The Hindu, Business Standard, PTI, India Today, TheWire, Deccan Herald, Economic Times, The Tribune, Prabhat Khabar, HT
11. Peoples’ monitoring of the RTI regime in India 2011-13’, released in 2014
Satark Nagrik Sanagathan was involved in a national assessment of the implementation of the RTI Act in India carried out by the Right to Information Assessment & Advocacy Group (RaaG) and the Centre for Equity Studies (CES) in collaboration with civil society groups across the country, including the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI). The national study covered the central government, five state governments, nearly hundred public authorities and information commissions across the country.
Read the report.
12. ‘Safeguarding the Right To Information’, RaaG & National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI), 2009
13. EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INFORMATION, The Evolution of Transparency Regimes in South Asia, Volume I: Essays, Status Reports, Case Studies, TAG & RIB, 2015
14. EMPOWERMENT THROUGH INFORMATION, The Evolution of Transparency Regimes in South Asia, Volume II: Empirical Studies, TAG & RIB, 2015
