Constitutional Values, Transparency And Good Governance Vis-A-Vis Article 19 And 21 Of The Constitution With Reference To The Right To Information Act, 2005
- IJLLR Journal
- Mar 27
- 1 min read
Aditya Dixit, B.A.LL.B.(Hons.), Dr. Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj
ABSTRACT
From its inception, the Indian Constitution has been grounded in the idea that power shall be exercised under public scrutiny. The framers of our Constitution aspired to create a system where authority and accountability can go hand-in-hand. As the Great Dr. B.R. Ambedkar said “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realize that our people have yet to learn it.” The Right to Information Act, 2005 is an express example of the law makers attempting to realise the hopes of the constitution framers. It is not merely a statute, rather an acknowledgment of an existing constitutional right i.e. the Right to Know flowing from Article 19(1)(a). With the adoption of this Act, India truly promoted the concept of Democracy, by establishing a procedural system to increase transparency in governance. To expand upon the words of B.R.Ambedkar, constitutional values - in this case i.e. Morality and Transparency are concepts not to be restricted simply to a abstract entity, instead should be practically enforceable and visible to the citizens. It is then that the idea of Good Governance will come to the fore. The Right to Information Act, 2005 now acts as a plot device for the public to ensure the continuity of these constitutional values.
