a group of people queued up in front of a window at a government office--Right to Information Act--

The right to information in practice

People's ability to use the RTI Act is often shaped by how state portals are designed, which can pose challenges including inaccessibility and incomplete information. Here are some tips for filing RTIs and the broad changes that are needed.
by Pritika Malhotra | 7 min read

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a checkdam in Khweng village, Ri Bhoi district--access to water

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a cartoon billboard saying, "Your ad here"--nonprofit humour

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A day in the life of


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a female forest guard puts out a forest fire in Mewar Biodiversity Park, Udaipur district, Rajasthan--forest guard
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a teacher coach observing a class in session--government school teachers

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Social change leaders chronicle their failures and lessons learnt.

Silhouetted birds perched on bare tree_leadership failure
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Aerial shot of women protestors sitting_well-being
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Barbed wire_nonprofits
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A number of risks, both real and perceived, stop nonprofits from talking about failure. Here's how various stakeholders can work together to overcome them.


Conversations with visionaries on their life's work, and their efforts to challenge the status quo in our country.

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Insights and analysis of specific sectors in the development arena—what works, what doesn't, and what needs to change.

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  • Agriculture
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  • The right to information in practice
    People's ability to use the RTI Act is often shaped by how state portals are designed, which can pose challenges including inaccessibility and incomplete information. Here are some tips for filing RTIs and the broad changes that are needed.

    Well-being in a tech-first world
    Two technologists, Grace Clapham and Priya Goswami, discuss what it will take to reimagine technology that values connection, care, and community over metrics and growth.

    Lessons on well-being in activism: Kumi Naidoo and Louisa Zondo
    What does well-being look like at the frontlines of struggles for justice and change? Activists Kumi Naidoo and Louisa Zondo discuss the importance of care when confronting the most pressing issues of our time.


    The right to information in practice
    People's ability to use the RTI Act is often shaped by how state portals are designed, which can pose challenges including inaccessibility and incomplete information. Here are some tips for filing RTIs and the broad changes that are needed.

    India’s youth are redefining economic inclusion
    For young Indians, economic inclusion isn’t just about jobs. It’s about independence, the dignity to choose, and the freedom to shape their own future.

    Mizoram’s cosplayers blend art, identity, and livelihoods
    Initially viewed with scepticism and dread, cosplay in Mizoram is now a vehicle for youth expression, social change, and local entrepreneurship.

    Skills and functions that are core to growing programmes and organisations.

    See all coverage by topic:
  • Board & Governance
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  • Technology

  • Well-being in a tech-first world
    Two technologists, Grace Clapham and Priya Goswami, discuss what it will take to reimagine technology that values connection, care, and community over metrics and growth.

    Weaving AI into India’s handicraft sector
    AI can help build a future-ready handicraft sector. But what barriers shape its adoption, and how can they be addressed?

    The limits of AI in social change
    More actors—from grantmaking to service delivery—are exploring the use of AI. However, the excitement around scale and efficiency often overshadows a critical question: What does it mean to bring machine-generated abstraction into systems built on trust, context, and relationship?