Democratization Of Information
The goal of creating an information-driven, inclusive society in which everyone has easy access to all information and services with minimal bureaucratic and procedural delays is driving governments around the world to digitise in order to provide information and services to the public.
TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, THE FOLLOWING ARE IMPERATIVE:
1. Everyone should have access to relevant information
2. Information should be available in an easily accessible format (Internet, mobile telephony, notice boards, newspapers, public announcements, media broadcasts, inspection of public authority offices, and so on).
3. The information provided should be easy to comprehend (language).
THE KEY TENETS TO ENSURE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ARE LISTED AS FOLLOWS:
1. Maximum Disclosure - This tenet has a number of implications, including the onus on the body seeking to deny access to information to prove that it can legitimately be withheld; and no public bodies should be exempt from the law's reach.
2. Public Bodies Should Be Required to Publish - Public bodies should be required to publish key information. The amount of information covered should grow over time, especially as new technologies make disseminating information cheaper and easier.
3. Open Government Promotion – The success of the Freedom of Information Act is contingent on the existence of an open government culture. This may be the most difficult challenge facing information democratisation, as cultural change is difficult to achieve.
4. Exceptions with a Limited Scope - Exceptions should be clearly defined and subject to strict "harm" and "public interest" tests.
5. Process to Facilitate Access - Information requests should be processed quickly and fairly, and any refusals should be subject to an independent review.
6. Costs - Excessive costs should not deter individuals from making requests for information.
ADVANTAGES OF DEMOCRATISATION OF INFORMATION
It is widely acknowledged that information plays a critical role in people's lives. The following are some examples:
a. A pensioner does not know how to obtain a pension or is having difficulty obtaining a pension and is unable to obtain assistance to resolve the problem.
b. A daily wage earner is not paid in full for work completed.
c. People lose their lives and property because they do not receive advance warning of a disaster, even though it is available to a select few.
d. People living in poverty are unable to participate in various social welfare programmes, such as food and health insurance.
e. With the implementation of an IT application that provides citizens with e-services, a public body increases revenue 80 times in two years and collections 150 times over a three-year period.
f. Information on progress made at the village level is available to citizens, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and activists, as well as the ability to conduct social audits.
• As a result, information drives transparency, accountability, and integrity in government operations. Furthermore, it is assisting in raising public awareness and participation in government programmes.
• It serves as a link between citizens and the government. Adoption of new schemes will be easier if citizens are involved in decision-making.
CHALLENGES TO DEMOCRATIZATION OF INFORMATION
While everyone agrees that information must reach everyone, there are several obstacles that must be overcome. These impediments include:
1. Economic Barriers - Even if information is available, certain segments of the population may be unable to pay for it.
2. IT Infrastructure Barriers - Communication infrastructure may be unavailable, resulting in limited access. The internet penetration rates for India, China, Russia, and the United States are shown in the table below. In this regard, India lags behind.
3. Language Barriers - Information should be provided in a language that citizens can understand.
4. Other impediments - These include impediments posed by government organisations. In addition, due to factors such as illiteracy and disability, many people require assistance in accessing and comprehending information.
• Data must be managed in such a way that it can be processed quickly and presented to people in a variety of ways. The cost of information includes media costs (print, electronic, etc.), data collection costs, administrative costs, and so on.
• Governments must plan ahead of time to identify and manage these costs. It has become necessary to make a cultural shift toward openness.
• Democracy entails additional responsibilities. All stakeholders, including the public, government, and private entities, as well as civil society, must responsibly use the information available, lest it be used for anti-social and anti-national purposes.
• Information can be used by nefarious elements to stymie the government's work, foster distrust among stakeholders, and jeopardise people's and entities' rights.
• As a result, adequate checks and balances must be implemented to ensure that data is not misused.
IT ActS AN ENABLER IN CAUSING DEMOCRATIZATION OF INFORMATION
• The digitisation of public bodies can ensure that information is always available. Data can be transformed into information that is easily disseminated.
• Multiple access channels, such as kiosks, physical centres such as CSCs, mobile telephony, call centres, and the Internet, will be developed to remove barriers related to IT infrastructure.
• Various countries have made use of technology to ensure that information flows smoothly.
• Canada, for example, has created an information source document that assists people in locating information sources across the government.
• The following features are included:
1. A one-stop shop for all things Sue Moto
2. Provides information on the government, its structure, and its data holdings.
3. Assists citizens in determining which government agency to contact.
4. Keeps track of the addresses and phone numbers of federal departments and agencies that are subject to RTI.
5. Access to other institutions affiliated with the federal government.
6. Annual reports and statistics on the number of requests are published, as well as a summary of federal court cases involving access to information and privacy.
7. Annual reports assessing government institutions' compliance with the Act's provisions are tabled within months of the financial year's end.