Section 2 RTI Act: Definitions

Section 2 RTI Act Bare Act Text

2. Definitions.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) “appropriate Government” means in relation to a public authority which is established, constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly—

(i) by the Central Government or the Union territory administration, the Central Government;

(ii) by the State Government, the State Government;

(b) “Central Information Commission” means the Central Information Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 12;

(c) “Central Public Information Officer” means the Central Public Information Officer designated under sub-section (1) and includes a Central Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub-section (2) of section 5;

(d) “Chief Information Commissioner” and “Information Commissioner” mean the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner appointed under sub-section (3) of section 12;

(e) “competent authority” means—

(i) the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State or a Union territory having such Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of States or Legislative Council of a State;

(ii) the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court;

(iii) the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court;

(iv) the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of other authorities established or constituted by or under the Constitution;

(v) the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution;

(f) “information” means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force;

(g) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act by the appropriate Government or the competent authority, as the case may be;

(h) “public authority” means any authority or body or institution of self- government established or constituted—

(a) by or under the Constitution;

(b) by any other law made by Parliament;

(c) by any other law made by State Legislature;

(d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government,

and includes any—

(i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed;

(ii) non-Government organisation substantially financed,

directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;

(i) “record” includes—

(a) any document, manuscript and file;

(b) any microfilm, microfiche and facsimile copy of a document;

(c) any reproduction of image or images embodied in such microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and

(d) any other material produced by a computer or any other device;

(j) “right to information” means the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and includes the right to—

(i) inspection of work, documents, records;

(ii) taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;

(iii) taking certified samples of material;

(iv) obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device;

(k) “State Information Commission” means the State Information Commission constituted under sub-section (1) of section 15;

(l) “State Chief Information Commissioner” and “State Information Commissioner” mean the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioner appointed under subsection (3) of section 15;

(m) “State Public Information Officer” means the State Public Information Officer designated under sub-section (1) and includes a State Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub-section (2) of section 5;

(n) “third party” means a person other than the citizen making a request for information and includes a public authority.

Section 2 RTI Act in Simple Words

When Section 2 RTI Act Applies

• Context condition (Section 2 RTI Act): Every definition in Section 2 applies across the Act unless the context requires otherwise.
• Appropriate Government test (Section 2(a) RTI Act): The Central Government where the public authority is established, constituted, owned, controlled, or substantially financed (directly or indirectly) by the Central Government or a Union territory administration, and the State Government where by the State Government.
• Scope of information (Section 2(f) RTI Act): Covers material in any physical or electronic form, plus information relating to a private body that a public authority can access under any other law for the time being in force.
• Public authority test (Section 2(h) RTI Act): Covers authorities, bodies, or institutions of self-government established or constituted under the Constitution, a Parliamentary law, a State Legislature law, or an appropriate Government notification or order, plus bodies owned, controlled, or substantially financed and non-Government organisations substantially financed (directly or indirectly) by appropriate Government funds.
• Scope of right to information (Section 2(j) RTI Act): Covers information accessible under the Act and held by or under the control of a public authority, including inspecting work or records, taking notes, extracts, certified copies or certified samples, and obtaining electronic copies or printouts.
• Third party meaning (Section 2(n) RTI Act): Any person other than the citizen making the request for information, including a public authority.

Example of Section 2 RTI Act

When Section 2 RTI Act Does Not Apply

• Where the context of a provision in the RTI Act requires a different meaning, because Section 2 RTI Act applies 'unless the context otherwise requires'.
• Under Section 2(n) RTI Act, the citizen making the request for information is excluded from the definition of 'third party'.

FAQs on Section 2 RTI Act

Sections Related to Section 2 RTI Act