| Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and | | | | main mantra of good governance. Transparency |
| a people who mean to be their own governors, | | | | and good governance are parallel to each |
| must arm themselves with the power knowledge | | | | other. Transparency is nothing but the |
| gives. A popular government without popular | | | | availability of information to the general |
| information or the means of acquiring it, is | | | | public and clarity about government rules, |
| but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy or | | | | regulations, and decisions. In a state like |
| perhaps both.-- James MadisonWant to know how | | | | Orissa, the generators and very limited |
| much money was earmarked for repairing roads | | | | persons can access to any information, which |
| in KBK district, or how much money government | | | | should be disseminated among the citizens. |
| allocates for your village medical? Now just | | | | That is main reason for the state to stand in |
| ask the government and it is obliged to | | | | the third position in the less developed |
| provide the answer of your question with in a | | | | states. Access to accurate and timely |
| specified time. In the age of information | | | | information about the economy and government |
| affluence, everyone is starving for | | | | policies can be vital for decision making on |
| information. It may be related to the family, | | | | any issues by the citizens. On grounds of |
| village, town, district, state or nation. We | | | | efficiency alone, such data should be freely |
| have a custom to keep the essential | | | | and readily available to civil citizens.From |
| information secretly. We have also a | | | | Official Secrets Act to Right to Information |
| misconception that if we hide some relevant | | | | Act, we have covered a long journey with many |
| information from the public then the | | | | ups and downs. After nearly a decade of |
| importance of that particular person relating | | | | hectic lobbying, we have won the hard-fought |
| to that particular issue is always been | | | | struggle for the freedom of Information. The |
| there. Those days are gone when everyone has | | | | campaign for entrenching the right to |
| tried to exercise power over each other by | | | | information in India were finally rewarded on |
| controlling access to information and | | | | 15 June 2005 with the President's assent to |
| knowledge. Now sharing of information is the | | | | the Right to Information Act 2005. |