RAS question
The time limit for providing information under the RTI Act is:
Correct answer: (C) 30 days from the date of receipt of application (48 hours if it concerns life or liberty).
Under Section 7 of the RTI Act, information must ordinarily be provided within 30 days of receiving the request, and within 48 hours when it concerns a person's life or liberty.
Explanation
Section 7 of the RTI Act fixes the standard response clock for a Public Information Officer: after receiving a request under Section 6, the officer must either provide the information on the prescribed fee or reject the request for a valid statutory reason within 30 days. The same section creates a sharper deadline for urgent cases: if the information sought concerns the life or liberty of a person, it must be provided within 48 hours of receiving the request. In a transferred-application situation, because a transfer under Section 6 must be made within five days, the effective limit becomes 35 days when an application is transferred.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Sixty days is too long because Section 7 sets the ordinary RTI response period at 30 days from receipt of the request.
- (B) Fifteen days is not the statutory deadline; the Act provides 30 days in ordinary cases and 48 hours only for life-or-liberty information.
- (D) Seven days is not mentioned as the RTI Act's response limit for providing information under Section 7.
Concept
This tests the governance syllabus area on transparency and accountability mechanisms, especially statutory deadlines under the RTI Act. It recurs in RAS because time limits convert the right to information from a broad principle into an enforceable administrative duty.