Implementation Gaps In India’s RTI Act Reveal Persistent Transparency Failures Across Government Departments

The Hindu•Published: Oct 13, 2026 08:29 AM IST

Twenty-one years after the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, a new analysis reveals significant failures by public authorities to provide mandatory voluntary disclosures. While the law requires departments to proactively publish 16 categories of information to reduce the need for formal requests, many government websites remain non-compliant or provide outdated data.

Audit Compliance Rates: Out of 2,303 registered public authorities, only 62.7% submitted mandatory third-party transparency audit reports to the Central Information Commission for 2024-25.
Transparency Performance: Over 50% of the submitted audit reports received a Grade C or lower, indicating poor adherence to transparency standards, with many scoring below 60%.
Website Accessibility: An independent verification of 94 department websites found that only 33 had uploaded the latest audit reports, while 26 departments failed to provide the legally required information.

The Context & Background

The RTI Act was designed to empower citizens by ensuring easy access to government information, thereby minimizing the need for filing formal requests. However, the growing backlog of RTI applications at the Central Information Commission highlights a systemic failure to implement these proactive disclosure provisions effectively.

Why it matters:The failure to implement proactive disclosures undermines the core purpose of the RTI Act, forcing citizens to navigate bureaucratic hurdles for basic information. This lack of transparency not only erodes public trust but also contributes to a massive backlog of RTI requests, stalling government accountability and administrative efficiency.

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