Name: K
R Spandana
Course:
BA LLB
Semester:
1st
College: Bennett University
Open
government is a kind of governance in which the governing party and the
citizens have a high degree of transparency. Transparency is a part of
governing the public should have access to and knowledge of government
operations. However, the term "open government" has evolved through
time. With time, the public, particularly the youth, has become much more
involved in the government's practises and operations than in the past.
The
right to information act 2005, which came into effect on October 12, 2005,
allows citizens to get any kind of information. In whatever form, information
is material. It includes all electronic records, documents, notes, e-mails,
opinions, advice, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts,
reports, papers, samples, and models. Additionally, it contains information
about any private organisation that may be available to a governmental
authority under current law.
Thus,
how does open government and the right to information align? To understand
this first we have to understand where and how did the idea of open government
emerge from.
History
of Open Government
While
scrutiny and criticism of government have a long history with mankind the
concept of transparency and access to government information is a
relatively recent concept that dates all the way back to the 17th and 18th
centuries' Age of Enlightenment (also known as the Age of Reason). The
development of "print culture" in Europe during this period
encompassed newspapers, books, and essays, and was associated with a thinking
revolution, which culminated in the American and French revolutions.
Throughout
and after these political upheavals, several nations in western Europe and the
United States enshrined the rights to free speech, expression, assembly, and
press in law. These basic rights laid the groundwork for what was then
considered open and democratic governance, and they continue to act as the
(often forgotten) building blocks for our contemporary conceptions of open
government.
Open
Government – Is It Accountable?
An
open government shares information and statistics about its activities,
finances, and performance. It is accountable to society and sensitive to the
demands of its citizens. It promotes the traceability of governmental choices,
enabling people to exercise continuous and effective social oversight, thus
enhancing public administration. A transparent government is inclusive and
participatory, including people in the design, implementation, and oversight of
public policy. It is a space where public administration is made more
accessible to rising talents from citizens and other stakeholders via co-creation
of ideas for improved public management. It transcends the notion of
e-Government by transforming itself into a catalyst for innovation and value
creation, using citizen knowledge and SMART technology to change and expand the
reach and effect of its actions. Finally, an open government acknowledges the
need to rethink how government works, altering the values and principles that
drive public sector goals and performance, encouraging and creating trust, and
strengthening, more transparent, and more effective institutions.
Open
government is a necessary component of an open society–one in which voices may
be heard, ideas addressed, and opportunities for interaction between government
and its citizens exist. It is not a unique concept for governments to be open,
participative, and responsible to the people. It dates back decades, if not
centuries, in some locations. Over the past few decades, open government and
its related ideas have accelerated their growth well beyond conventional
supporters.
Why
Should There Be an Open Government?
There
are two primary reasons for government transparency: the positive impact on
citizens (including increased awareness of what the government does, awareness
of how their taxes is spent, and more civic engagement) and the benefits to
governments (such as increased civic trust in government, greater efficiency,
and enhanced delivery of services or systems functions).
·
Beneficial Effect on the Public
On
a daily basis, the typical person likely utilises services provided by some
level of government (municipal, state or provincial, or federal) without
realising it. They are unaware that when they switch on the radio, a federal
communications authority prohibits stations from interfering with one another
and other signals from interfering with broadcasts. They take for granted that
a government agency oversees public transit, ensures that stoplights function
properly, and maintains roads in reasonable shape.
Open
government programmes, on the other hand, have a propensity to raise people'
knowledge of government services. Additionally, when governments make their
data publicly available, people may examine how their taxes are spent. For
example, when President Obama entered office in January 2009, his
administration oversaw the spending of $840 billion in economic stimulus funds.
Members of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board ensured that the
government did not abuse money, and by September 2015, the agency had
recovered, forfeited, or saved a total of $157 million.
When
people understand how their taxes are being spent, they become more involved.
They recognise that taking action to ensure they get the assistance they need
is in their best interests. For instance, several communities have made
information on calls to first responders and emergency services publicly
available on their websites. Neighbourhood watch groups may use this data to
defend their neighbourhoods more effectively.
·
The Government's Benefits from Open
Data
In
certain instances, open government may help people develop a greater sense of
confidence in their government. According to a 2014 study conducted by Swedish
researcher Jenny de Fine Licht, when the public is engaged in choices such as
library financing, citizens develop a stronger feeling of trust in elected
leaders and organisations.
Apart
from enhancing people' confidence in government, open government projects may
help governments operate more effectively. Additionally, governments may
utilise data to improve the way services are provided and internal systems
operate.
Increase
In Open Governments
The
Open Government Partnership (OGP), a worldwide effort devoted to promoting such
efforts, is driving an increasing number of nations to embrace open government
reforms. Despite this, there is still a lot of variances in openness across
nations. We look at the political, administrative, and civic elements that
contribute to this variance, using the OGP eligibility requirements as a proxy
for basic openness norms. We discovered that nations with strong executive
restrictions and high levels of citizen education had more transparent
administrations. More budget transparency and civil rights are linked with a
dense network of civil society groups, but not with access to information or asset
disclosure legislation. The findings indicate that having competent bureaucrats
isn't enough to put the benefits of transparency into reality; nations also
require educated people and effective supervision of executive agencies.
The
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) conducted a survey
on open government coordination and public participation in the policy cycle in
2015, which received responses from 54 nations. The survey was completed by all
OECD nations, as well as thirteen countries from Latin America and the
Caribbean, including Indonesia, Lithuania, Morocco, the Philippines, Romania,
and Tunisia. The poll was completed by senior government officials in charge of
the national open government agenda. The poll was divided into two parts: the
first focused on the current approach to open government at the national level
and was answered by the major open government institution. The nations'
ministries of health and finance responded to the second section, which focused
on identifying existing methods to public involvement across the policy cycle.
Right
To Information
RTI,
which stands for Right to Information Act, states that any Indian person may
seek any information (that is meant to be public) from state or federal
government agencies and departments. According to the act, these agencies and
departments must respond to such requests within a reasonable amount of time.
Why
Right to Information?
The
RTI Act was enacted by the Indian government to ensure that Indian people may exercise
their right to ask relevant concerns to the government and other public
utility service providers in a practical manner. The Freedom of Information Act
of 2002 was superseded by the RTI Act. The goal of this legislation was to
assist people to get faster services from government entities by allowing them
to inquire about why a specific application or official procedure was delayed.
The act primarily seeks to make India free of corruption.
What
is the RTI act’s Mandate?
The
RTI Act provides that every Indian person has the right to request information
from any public or government authority, and the authority is required to reply
to such a request within 30 days of receipt. The requested information,
however, cannot be linked to military, national security, or personal
information.
Prior
to the RTI legislation, the Official Secrets Act and a few other specific
regulations limited the disclosure of information in India. Numerous similar
laws in the nation were repealed by the RTI Act.
Additionally,
the RTI legislation requires computerization of data for the goal of widespread
dissemination, ensuring that any information requested by the public may be
processed promptly, assisted by information classification.
What
Kind of Information Are Accessible Under the RTI Act?
Any
Indian citizen has the right to request information from a government
authority, such as asking for a delayed IT refund, obtaining a driver's licence
or passport, or obtaining information on a repair or infrastructure project
that has been finished or is now underway. Additionally, information may be
requested about the cash allocated under the various types of relief programmes
in the country. The legislation allows students to get copies of their answer
sheets from institutions.
The
right to information act and open government are related in that under an open
government, it is required to disclose any information requested by a citizen;
similarly, under the right to information act. A citizen has the right under
the RTI act to get information in a reasonable period of time. The exchange of
information reassures and builds people' confidence in their government.