India Right to Information Act

Under this Act, all citizens have the right to information and may obtain any information under the Act by making a request to the public information officer of the concerned public authority. Public authority includes, in addition to bodies constituted under the constitution or law, bodies owned, controlled or substantially financed by the government.  An applicant making a request for information shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him. A request for information shall be acted upon within 30 days of the receipt of the request. 

However, the act provides that there shall be no obligation to provide certain types of information such as those which: 

• Would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India
• Are expressly forbidden to be public by any court
• Whose disclosure would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature
• Trade secrets or intellectual property
• Information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship 
• Information received in confidence from a foreign government
• Those which would endanger life or physical safety or impede law enforcement or investigation
• Cabinet papers including records of deliberation

Furthermore, personal information which has no relationship to public activity shall not be disclosed.