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Glossary Terms
| Term (EN) | Definition | Exam Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Society | Society based on individual liberty, rule of law, limited government, and pluralism | Topic definition |
| Transparency | Openness of government processes to citizen scrutiny | Core concept |
| Rule of Law | No person above law; government acts only through legal authority; A.V. Dicey formulation | Foundational liberal principle |
| Right to Information | Legal right to access government records (RTI Act 2005) | Transparency mechanism |
| Proactive Disclosure | Section 4 of RTI — publish 17 categories without being asked | Transparency best practice |
| Social Audit | Community verification of government expenditure, pioneered by MKSS in Rajasthan | Community accountability |
| Fourth Estate | Term for the press/media as independent power in liberal democracy | Media role |
| Watchdog Journalism | Investigative journalism exposing government misconduct and corruption | Media function |
| Paid News | Undisclosed commercial/political influence on news content; defined by PCI | Media ethics threat |
| Whistleblower | Person who discloses wrongdoing within an organisation; protected under 2014 Act | Accountability tool |
| Disinformation | Deliberately false information spread to deceive; distinct from misinformation (unintentional) | Digital media challenge |
| Echo Chamber | Algorithmic environment reinforcing existing beliefs by filtering contrary views | Social media risk |
| Deep Fake | AI-generated synthetic media (video/audio) of real persons saying/doing false things | Digital democracy threat |
| Bureaucratic Accountability | Officials answering for decisions and resource use through multiple oversight channels | Topic core concept |
| Principal-Agent Problem | When agent (bureaucrat) pursues own interest rather than principal (elected representative/public) | Governance challenge |
| Citizens' Charter | Document committing public agency to service standards, timelines, and grievance redressal | Service accountability |
| Jan Soochna Portal | Rajasthan's 2019 portal providing 100+ scheme data proactively without RTI | State transparency model |
| MKSS | Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan — Rajasthan NGO that founded RTI movement (1990s) | Historical significance |
| Lokayukta | State-level anti-corruption ombudsman; investigates complaints against state officials | Executive accountability |
| Press Freedom | Constitutional and legal protection for media to report without government censorship | Media liberty |
| Open Government Partnership | International initiative (70+ countries) for transparent, participatory governance; India member 2011 | Global transparency framework |
| Public Sphere | Habermas's concept — space for rational public deliberation; media is its primary forum | Liberal democracy theory |
| Sedition Law | IPC Section 124A — historically used to restrict speech; SC stayed enforcement 2022 | Press freedom threat |
| Central Information Commission | Apex appellate body under RTI Act for Central government bodies | RTI enforcement |
| Right to Repair | Emerging consumer transparency right — companies must disclose product repair information | Evolving transparency norm |
Sources: RTI Act 2005 and Amendments; Whistleblowers Protection Act 2014; Press Council of India guidelines; IT Rules 2021; Open Government Partnership (ogp.net); Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Annual Index; Transparency International CPI; Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) documentation; RPSC Mains PYQ 2013–2023; RPSC 2026 Official Syllabus; John Locke, Two Treatises (1689); J.S. Mill, On Liberty (1859); John Rawls, Political Liberalism (1993); Louis Brandeis, Other People's Money (1914); Jürgen Habermas, Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere (1962).