Freedom of Information Act, 2002 see Right to Information Act

This book provides a complete and authoritative presentation of the Freedom of Information Act, 2002, the law that initially sought to establish citizen access to information held by public authorities in India. Although the FOI Act never fully came into force, it laid the groundwork for the transparency movement that culminated in the enactment of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which replaced it. This edition contextualizes the 2002 Act within India’s administrative reforms and offers insights into the policy debates, limitations of the original framework, and the reasons behind the shift to a more comprehensive and enforceable RTI statute. The book includes clear statutory text, legislative intent, amendment history, and comparative notes linking relevant provisions to their strengthened counterparts under the RTI Act, helping readers understand how transparency jurisprudence evolved. Designed for legal professionals, students, governance experts, and scholars, it provides valuable historical understanding for those studying public accountability and citizen-centric governance in India. The work is also a useful reference for institutions tracking changes in information-access obligations over time. As one of the few dedicated compilations of the FOI Act, it fills a critical gap for researchers and libraries maintaining comprehensive legislative collections.