RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT, 2005 - Breaching the Babu Barrier

Born from grassroots resilience, this landmark legislation put the might of information in the hands of millions while making the powers that be accountable

- BY KAUSHIK DEKA

In the dusty lanes of Devdungri, Rajasthan, a revolution qui- etly took root. Peasants, led by the fiery resolve of Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey and Shankar Singh of the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), demanded access to muster rolls—mundane employment records that held the secret to systemic corruption. Their demand for transparency soon ballooned into a national movement, culminating in the groundbreaking law, the Right to Information Act (RTI), 2005.

Pushed by Sonia Gandhi and the National Advisory Council, of which Roy was also a member, this legislation was enacted by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2005. The Act became a cornerstone of India's democratic architecture, granting citizens the legal right to access information from public authorities. By dismantling the pervasive culture of secrecy, a relic of colonial-era laws like the Official Secrets Act of 1923, the RTI Act empowered ordinary Indians to hold the bureaucrats and politicians accountable.