In a true democratic society, the affairs of the society are run through equal, active and effective participation of all the citizens in its affairs. To be effective, the participation has to be well informed, the information available to the people being full and truthful. Hence, to make self-governance a living reality Right to Information is must. But, it is not the state machinery or government departments that should be under a mandatory obligation to provide details of all their activities. Every corporation be it public funded or private, state run or MNC; should be under a similar statutory requirement to account for their actions because all their actions in some way or the other effect the common man only.

The concept of Corporate social responsibility or CSR also implies the same. All corporations being a functional part of this society only, are required to inform about their activities to the general public. Such information makes the functioning of the corporations more transparent as public knows whether a particular activity or mode of functioning of the corporation is beneficial to the society or not? and it is complying with statutory requirements or not specially the public welfare laws including those on Environment pollution. Such information will give the option to general public to use their Right to reject goods or services of those companies which fail to comply with such provisions or deliberately ignore to comply with them. And in this way right to information will sooner or later will compel the corporations to comply with their social requirements to stay in market.

Further, if we talk in terms of Constitutional law, then the fundamental right to freedom of speech and _expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, would be meaningless without authentic requisite information about issues and subjects on which opinions are to be formed and expressed.

Hence, if the recently passed enactment on Right to Information is implemented in its true spirit and with necessary modifications such as procedural formalities and inclusion of all corporations be they private or public under its net, it will go long way in providing real justice to our countrymen.


© Geeta Narula. All rights reserved with the author.
*Advocate, Delhi High Court
Contact at:  advocategeeta@yahoo.com /  advocategeeta@rediffmail.com