RAS question
Rajasthan was a pioneer in enacting the Right to Information law. The Rajasthan Right to Information Act was passed in:
Correct answer: (C) 2000.
The Rajasthan Right to Information Act was passed in 2000, before the national Right to Information Act, 2005.
Explanation
Rajasthan passed its own Right to Information Act in 2000, when India did not yet have a national law on the subject. In its comparative analysis of state RTI laws, the official DARPG report, Right to Information: Master Key to Good Governance, lists Rajasthan under “Rajasthan—2000” and identifies the national Right to Information Act as a law enacted by Parliament in 2005. Therefore, 2000—not 2005—is the correct year for Rajasthan. The state law was also associated with the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) movement led by Aruna Roy in Rajasthan. This connection between a citizens' movement and a state transparency law is why Rajasthan is often regarded as a pioneer in questions on the right to information.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 2005 is the year of the national Right to Information Act enacted by Parliament, not Rajasthan's earlier state law.
- (B) 2010 is too late because the DARPG comparative table records Rajasthan's RTI law under 2000.
- (D) 1995 does not match Rajasthan's enactment year; the official comparative table records 2000 for the state.
Concept
This question tests how transparency and accountability laws evolved in Rajasthan's political-administrative system. It is relevant to RAS because Rajasthan's early RTI law is a standard example of a citizens' movement influencing governance reform.