<<–2/”>a >u>Delivering public Services in a time bound, decentralised and citizen friendly manner has been one of the major challenges facing the administration wing of the government.Right To Service legislation in India comprises statutory laws which guarantee time-bound delivery of various public services rendered to citizens and provides mechanism for punishing the errant public servant if they are is deficient in providing the stipulated services. Hence, Right to Service legislation ensures delivery of time bound services to the public. If the concerned officer fails to provide the service in time, he will have to pay a fine. Thus, it is aimed to reduce Corruption among the government officials and to increase transparency and public accountability.
Right to Service legislation are meant to reduce corruption among the government officials and to increase transparency and public accountability. Madhya Pradesh became the first state in India to enact Right to Service Act on 18 August 2010 and Bihar was the second to enact this bill on 25 July 2011. Several other states like Bihar, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, HimachalPradesh, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand have introduced similar legislation for effectuating the right to service to the citizen.
Our development as a nation is plagued by low Literacy levels, poor Health, high Population, extreme POVERTY and corruption. In 2014 India ranked 85th out of 175 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index11 indicating there is a long way to go.
The three defining indicators that have emerged as main components of Good Governance, effectively reinforcing democratic principle
- Transparency and Accessibility: Transparency is described as the “characteristic of governments, companies, organisations and individuals of being open in the clear disclosure of information rules, plans, processes and actions”.
- Accountability and Timelines: Administrative transparency is a means to ensure accountability, reason the lack of it, and also highlight areas susceptible to corrupt practices, further ensuring that they are not overlooked. Accountability strategies which include checks and balances range from checking resource use, controlling expenditure, internal and external Auditing processes, to monitoring mechanisms.
- Impact and Responsiveness of the Administration: The impact of the efficiency of the system can be gauged by people’s faith and confidence in the same. Citizens have become more articulate and aware and expect the administration to respond not merely to their demands but also anticipate them beforehand. The effectiveness and efficiency of an administration at any level, centre, state or local depends on fully responsive and representational people and institutions, as well as on prioritising service and legal mechanisms to correspond with needs of citizens.
The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC), “Citizen Centric Administration: The Heart of Governance” endorsed the Sevottam framework and recommended its full implementation in Union and State Governments. Later in 2007, the Second Administrative Reforms Commission recommended that Citizen’s Charters should stipulate penalties for non-compliance followed by The Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice recommending giving statutory status to Grievance Redressal mechanisms, in 2008.
Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) In June 2007, the DARPG put in place a 24×7 online portal that links 89 ministries/departments/organisations as of now. This web-enabled solution called the CPGRAMS, sought to streamline and integrate the whole process. The CPGRAMS helps in filing, transferring, tracking and monitoring of complaints from both sides—the citizen, and the department-incharge—from any place and at any time.
The Right of Citizens for Time Bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of their Grievances Bill, 2011
The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 20, 2011. The Bill was referred to the Department Related Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.
19 States have Notified/Enacted the bill till yet.
The Bill refers to a ‘citizens charter’ which is a document that defines the standard of services to be provided by an entity. The citizens charter will also provide the time frame within which goods and services are to be provided.
- The Bill requires all public authorities to appoint officers to redress grievances. Grievances are to be redressed within 30 working days. The Bill also provides for the appointment of Central and State Public Grievance Redressal Commissions.
- A penalty of up to Rs 50,000 may be levied upon the responsible officer or the Grievance Redressal Officer for failure to render services.
The common framework of the legislations in various states includes, granting of “right to public services”, which are to be provided to the public by the designated official within the stipulated time frame. The public services which are to be granted as a right under the legislations are generally notified separately through Gazette notification. Some of the common public services which are to be provided within the fixed time frame as a right under the Acts, includes issuing caste, birth, marriage and domicile certificates, electric connections, voter’s card, ration cards, copies of land records, etc.
On failure to provide the service by the designated officer within the given time or rejected to provide the service, the aggrieved person can approach the First Appellate Authority. The First Appellate Authority, after making a hearing, can accept or reject the appeal by making a written order stating the reasons for the order and intimate the same to the applicant, and can order the public servant to provide the service to the applicant.
An appeal can be made from the order of the First Appellate Authority to the Second Appellate Authority, who can either accept or reject the application, by making a written order stating the reasons for the order and intimate the same to the applicant, and can order the public servant to provide the service to the applicant or can impose penalty on the designated officer for deficiency of service without any reasonable cause, which can range from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5000 or may recommend disciplinary proceedings. The applicant may be compensated out of the penalty imposed on the officer. The appellate authorities has been granted certain powers of a Civil Court while trying a suit under Code of Civil Procedure.,
The Right to Service Act (RTSA) is a law that was passed in 2011 to ensure that citizens of India have access to government services in a timely and efficient manner. The Act covers a wide range of services, including Education, healthcare, and public utilities.
The RTSA has been successful in improving the delivery of government services in India. However, there are still some challenges that need to be addressed. One challenge is that the Act is not always implemented effectively at the state and local levels. Another challenge is that the Act does not cover all government services.
Despite these challenges, the RTSA is a valuable tool for improving the lives of citizens in India. The Act has helped to make government services more accessible and accountable. It has also helped to reduce corruption and improve efficiency.
The following are some of the sub topics of the Right to Service Act:
- Scope of the Act: The RTSA covers a wide range of services, including education, healthcare, and public utilities.
- Implementation of the Act: The RTSA is implemented by the Central and State Governments.
- Challenges in implementing the Act: There are some challenges in implementing the RTSA, such as lack of awareness about the Act and lack of Resources.
- Benefits of the Act: The RTSA has helped to improve the delivery of government services in India.
- Ways to improve the Act: The RTSA can be improved by making it more effective at the state and local levels, and by covering all government services.
Scope of the Act
The RTSA covers a wide range of services, including education, healthcare, and public utilities. The Act defines a “service” as “any activity or transaction which is undertaken by a public authority or any other person on behalf of a public authority in connection with the discharge of its functions or duties”.
The Act also defines a “citizen” as “any person who is a citizen of India and who has attained the age of eighteen years”.
Implementation of the Act
The RTSA is implemented by the Central and State Governments. The Central Government is responsible for implementing the Act at the national level, while the State Governments are responsible for implementing the Act at the state level.
The Act provides for the establishment of State Service Commissions (SSCs) in each State. The SSCs are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Act and for ensuring that citizens are able to access government services in a timely and efficient manner.
Challenges in implementing the Act
There are some challenges in implementing the RTSA, such as lack of awareness about the Act and lack of resources.
Lack of awareness about the Act: One of the challenges in implementing the RTSA is that many citizens are not aware of the Act. This is because the Act has not been widely publicized. As a result, many citizens do not know that they have the right to access government services in a timely and efficient manner.
Lack of resources: Another challenge in implementing the RTSA is that many government departments do not have the resources to provide services in a timely and efficient manner. This is because many government departments are understaffed and underfunded. As a result, citizens often have to wait long periods of time to receive government services.
Benefits of the Act
The RTSA has helped to improve the delivery of government services in India. The Act has made government services more accessible and accountable. It has also helped to reduce corruption and improve efficiency.
The Act has made government services more accessible by making it easier for citizens to apply for and receive government services. The Act has also made government services more accountable by requiring government departments to provide information about the services they offer and the time frames within which they must be provided.
The Act has helped to reduce corruption by making it easier for citizens to report corruption and by making it more difficult for government officials to engage in corrupt practices.
The Act has helped to improve efficiency by requiring government departments to streamline their procedures and by making it easier for citizens to track the progress of their applications.
Ways to improve the Act
The RTSA can be improved by making it more effective at the state and local levels, and by covering all government services.
The Act can be made more effective at the state and local levels by providing more resources to State Service Commissions (SSCs) and by increasing public awareness about the Act.
The Act can be made more effective by covering all government services. Currently, the Act only covers a limited number of services. By covering all government services, the Act would make it easier for citizens to access the services they need.
What is the Right To Information act?
The Right to Information Act (RTI Act) is an Indian law enacted in 2005 that gives citizens the right to access information held by the government. The Act was passed by the Parliament of India on 15 June 2005 and came into force on 12 October 2005.
What are the benefits of the RTI Act?
The RTI Act has several benefits, including:
- Increased Transparency and Accountability of the government
- Improved efficiency of government services
- Reduced corruption
- Increased citizen participation in governance
How can I use the RTI Act?
To use the RTI Act, you can file an RTI application with the concerned government department or agency. The application must be in writing and should clearly state the information you are seeking. You can also file an RTI application online.
What information can I access under the RTI Act?
Under the RTI Act, you can access any information held by the government, including:
- Records
- Documents
- Reports
- Orders
- Decisions
- Circulars
- Notifications
- Any other material
What are the fees for filing an RTI application?
The fees for filing an RTI application are nominal and vary depending on the type of information you are seeking. You can pay the fees in cash or by cheque or demand draft.
What is the time limit for responding to an RTI application?
The government department or agency is required to respond to your RTI application within 30 days of the date of receipt of the application. However, this time limit can be extended by a further 30 days if the government department or agency is unable to provide the information within the first 30 days.
What can I do if my RTI application is not responded to within the stipulated time limit?
If your RTI application is not responded to within the stipulated time limit, you can file a complaint with the Central Information Commission (CIC) or the State Information Commission (SIC). The CIC and the SIC are the two independent authorities that are responsible for overseeing the implementation of the RTI Act.
What are the penalties for not complying with the RTI Act?
Any government official who fails to comply with the RTI Act can be punished with a fine of up to Rs. 25,000 or imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
What are the challenges in implementing the RTI Act?
There are a number of challenges in implementing the RTI Act, including:
- Lack of awareness about the Act
- Apathy of government officials
- Lack of Infrastructure-2/”>INFRASTRUCTURE
- Lack of resources
What are the future prospects of the RTI Act?
The RTI Act has been a major success in increasing transparency and accountability of the government. However, there are still a number of challenges that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the Act is implemented effectively.
Sure, here are some MCQs on the topics of the Right to Information Act, the Right to Education Act, and the Right to Health Act:
-
The Right to Information Act (RTI) was passed in which year?
(A) 2005
(B) 2006
(C) 2007
(D) 2008 -
The Right to Education Act (RTE) was passed in which year?
(A) 2009
(B) 2010
(C) 2011
(D) 2012 -
The Right to Health Act (RHA) was passed in which year?
(A) 2013
(B) 2014
(C) 2015
(D) 2016 -
Which of the following is not a right guaranteed by the RTI Act?
(A) The right to information held by public authorities
(B) The right to inspect documents
(C) The right to take certified copies of documents
(D) The right to receive information in a language that is understood by the person making the request -
Which of the following is not a right guaranteed by the RTE Act?
(A) The right to free and compulsory education for all children aged 6 to 14 years
(B) The right to admission in a neighborhood school
(C) The right to free textbooks and uniforms
(D) The right to mid-day meals -
Which of the following is not a right guaranteed by the RHA?
(A) The right to access affordable and quality healthcare
(B) The right to information on health services
(C) The right to choose a doctor and hospital
(D) The right to be treated with dignity and respect -
The RTI Act applies to which of the following?
(A) Central government
(B) State Government
(C) Local Government
(D) All of the above -
The RTE Act applies to which of the following?
(A) Government schools
(B) Private schools
(C) Both government and private schools
(D) None of the above -
The RHA applies to which of the following?
(A) Central government
(B) State government
(C) Local government
(D) All of the above -
Which of the following is not a penalty for violation of the RTI Act?
(A) Imprisonment for up to three years
(B) Fine of up to ¹25,000
(C) Both imprisonment and fine
(D) None of the above -
Which of the following is not a penalty for violation of the RTE Act?
(A) Imprisonment for up to three years
(B) Fine of up to ¹1 lakh
(C) Both imprisonment and fine
(D) None of the above -
Which of the following is not a penalty for violation of the RHA?
(A) Imprisonment for up to three years
(B) Fine of up to ¹50,000
(C) Both imprisonment and fine
(D) None of the above -
The RTI Act can be used to seek information on which of the following?
(A) The names and addresses of government officials
(B) The salaries and allowances of government officials
(C) The minutes of meetings of government bodies
(D) All of the above -
The RTE Act can be used to seek information on which of the following?
(A) The fees charged by private schools
(B) The results of public examinations
(C) The list of textbooks prescribed by schools
(D) All of the above -
The RHA can be used to seek information on which of the following?
(A) The availability of medicines in government hospitals
(B) The waiting lists for surgeries in government hospitals
(C) The quality of food served in government hospitals
(D) All of the above
I hope these MCQs were helpful!