Introduction

   Mandate behind the enactment of the Right to Information Act, 2005 is

• to disseminate information as and when required by the citizens and also to provide easy access to information from the organizations/ agencies functioning as public authority.
• to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority.

    As provided in Section-2 of the Act, definition of terminology/ words used in the Act is mentioned
    below briefly:

  Definitions:

     1.   In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires:-

      a. "appropriate Government" means in relation to a public authority which is established,
           constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or 
           indirectly-

        (i) by the Central Government or the Union territory administration, the Central Government;

        (ii) by the State Government, the State Government; 

      b. "Central Information Commission" means the Central Information Commission constituted
          under sub-section (1) of section 12; 

      c. "Central Public Information Officer" means the Central Public Information Officer designated
          under sub-section (1) and includes a Central Assistant Public Information Officer designated
          as such under sub-section (2) of section 5; 

      d. "Chief Information Commissioner" and "Information Commissioner" means the Chief Information
         Commissioner and Information Commissioner appointed under sub­section (3) of section 12; 

      e. "competent authority" means-

        (i) the Speaker in the case of the House of the people or the Legislative Assembly of a State
            or a Union territory having such Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of
           States or Legislative Council of a State;

        (ii) the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court;

        (iii) the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court;

        (iv) the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of other  authorities
              established or constituted by or under the Constitution;

        (v) the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution; 

      f. Information" means any material  in  any form,   including  records,  documents, memos, e- 
         mails,   opinions,   advices,   press   releases,   circulars,   orders,   logbooks, contracts, 
        reports, papers, samples models, data material held in any electronic form and information 
        relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law
        for the time being in force; 

      g. "Prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act by the appropriate Government  
          or the competent authority, as the case may be; 

      h. "Public authority" means any authority or body or institution of self- government established
          or constituted-

       (i) by or under the Constitution;

       (ii) by any other law made by Parliament;