Answer: Transparency in administration is a sine qua non of participatory democracy and has gained prominence as a commitment of the state towards its citizens. It has the following significance for governance:

• Good governance: Disseminating information is crucial to good governance as it reflects and captures the government’s activities and processes. It also leads to accountability.
• Participative democracy: Every citizen of the state has the right to access information under the control of public authorities and evaluate whether it is in consonance with public interest.
• Economic and social progress: Transparency is the key not only to the architecture of good governance but also to a country’s ability to usher in rapid economic and social progress.
• Balancing power: Transparency can empower marginalized communities to battle the circumstances in which they find themselves and help balance the unequal power dynamics that exist between them and the government.

In this regard, the Indian government has come up with several initiatives towards open and transparent governance over the years like the Right To Information Act, 2005 (RTI Act), the National e-Governance Plan, 2006, National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy, 2012, the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014, etc. Despite the importance of transparency, withholding of information from the public becomes important due to the following reasons:

• National security: The RTI Act provides that certain sensitive information may be withheld from the public if the public authority in possession of the information thinks that the same is likely to jeopardize national interest or violate trade secrets. Also, the Official Secrets Act, of 1923 states that spying, sharing ‘secret’ information, interference with the armed forces in prohibited/restricted areas, etc. are punishable offenses.
• Privacy: Information that unnecessarily violates the privacy and confidentiality rights of individuals should be curtailed. For instance, sensitive information like the identity of victims of sexual abuse.
• Maintaining public order: Sometimes released information might lead to undue stigmatization of individuals or groups within the society and create issues with regard to public order. For instance, during violent upsurges, certain sensitive information is withheld to ensure peace and stability in society.
• Preventing misinformation: Some information, if released, might lead to the spread of rumors and consequently lead to panic and chaos. For instance, the spread of misinformation was rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thus, there is some merit in withholding information from the public. However, before withholding critical information, other issues must also be addressed such as reducing the misuse of RTI exceptions, broadly defining ‘national security’ and ambiguous terms used in the Official Secrets Act, 1923, etc.