Topic: transparency and accountability
3. The steady increase in backlog of appeals or complaints of the Right to Information (RTI) Act is a major setback to the transparency regime in the country. Analyse. (250 words)
Difficulty level: Moderate
Reference: The Hindu
Why the question:
A good 17 years after India got the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the transparency regime in the country remains a mirage with nearly 3.15 lakh complaints or appeals pending with 26 information commissions across India.
Key Demand of the question:
To write about the impact of backlogs in RTI cases and ways to address them.
Directive word:
Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Begin by giving context.
Body:
First, write in detail about the various reasons behind increasing backlogs in RTI cases and complaints.
Next, write about the impact that these backlogs will have on the transparency regime of India – barriers to information, limitations on accountability, corruption etc.
Next, write about the ways to overcome the above and dispose cases in a timely manner.
Conclusion:
Conclude by writing a way forward.
