Section 8, The Right to Access Information Act, 2013

(1) The following classes of information form the coreproactive publication obligations for every public authority:– (a) the particulars of its organization, functions and duties; (b) the powers and duties of its officers and employees; (c) the procedure followed in the decision making process, including channels of supervision and accountability; (d) the norms set by it for the discharge of its functions; (e) any guidance used by the authority in relation to its dealings with the public or with corporate bodies, including the rules, instructions, manuals and records, held by it or under its control or used by its employees for discharging its functions; (f) a guide sufficient to enable any person wishing to apply for information under this Act to identify the classes of information held by it, the subjects to which they relate or the location of any indexes to be consulted by any person; (g) the particulars of any arrangement that exists for consultation with or representation by, the members of the public in relation to the formulation of its policy or implementation thereof; (h) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of advising it with information as to whether meetings of those boards, councils, committees and other bodies are open to the public, or the minutes of the meetings are accessible to the public; Proactive publication. 8 9 (i) a directory of its officers and employees; (j) the monthly remuneration received by each of its officers and employees, including the system of compensation; (k) the budget allocated to each of its agencies, including the particulars of all plans, proposed expenditures and reports on disbursements made; (l) the manner of execution of subsidy programmes, including the amounts allocated and the details of beneficiaries of such programmes; (m) particulars of concessions, permits or authorizations granted by it; (n) details in respect of the information available to or held by it, in an electronic form; (o) the particulars of facilities available to citizens for obtaining information, including the working hours of a library or reading room, if maintained for public use; (p) the names, designation, contact details of its public information officers, appelate authorities and the particulars and contact details of the Commission; (q) a list of all applications under this Act received by the public authority, including an indexed register containing copies of records released in response to requests made under this Act other than records relating to the personal affairs of the applicant. (2) Every public authority shall adopt and disseminate widely, including on its website, a publication scheme which has been approved by the Commission, within six months of the coming into operation of this Act or its approval, whichever comes later. (3) The publication scheme shall set out– (a) the classes of records that the authority will publish on a proactive basis; and (b) the manner in which it will publish these records. (4) In adopting a publication scheme, a public authority shall have regard to the public interest– (a) in allowing access to the information it holds; and (b) in making information available proactively so as to minimise the need for individuals to make requests for information. (5) Every public authority shall publish information in accordance with its publication scheme. (6) Every publication scheme shall, within seven years of the adoption of the first publication scheme by a public authority, cover all of the core proactive publication obligations set out in subsection (1). (7) Any person may institute proceedings in a court to compel the head of a public authority, to comply with this section.