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Holding the State Accountable: RTI, PIL and the Lokpal
A constitution gives rights, but rights need tools. India's accountability toolkit has three, each with a different driver. The Right to Information Act, 2005 lets any citizen ask a public office for its records. Public Interest Litigation (PIL) lets a court act on behalf of people who cannot reach it themselves. The Lokpal is an ombudsman that investigates corruption by public servants.
Exams love this trio because the three look alike but sit in different places: RTI is a statute with its own commission, PIL is a judicial invention with no statute at all, and the Lokpal is a statutory body created in 2013. Questions ask for dates, time limits, the authority that hears an appeal, and who sits on a selection committee.
Think of it as a case study in three styles of accountability: the citizen asks, the court listens, the ombudsman investigates.
1. The Right to Information Act, 2005 came into full effect on:
2. Under the RTI Act, the normal time limit for a Public Information Officer to reply to an application is:
3. Which case is generally regarded as the first Public Interest Litigation in India?
4. Through which Article can a person approach a High Court for a PIL on a matter of public interest?
5. Which of the following is NOT a member of the selection committee for the Lokpal chairperson and members?
6. Who was appointed as the first Chairperson of the Lokpal of India in 2019?
7. The institution of the Lokpal in India was first recommended by the:
8. Under the RTI Act, a second appeal against the decision of the First Appellate Authority lies with the: