Section 2 in The Right To Information Act, 2005

2. Definitions.- In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) " appropriate Government" means in relation to a public authority which is established, constituted, owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly-

(i) by the Central Government or the Union territory administration, the Central Government;

(ii) by the State Government, the State Government;

(b) " Central Information Commission" means the Central Information Commission constituted under sub- section (1) of section 12;

(c) " Central Public Information Officer" means the Central Public Information Officer designated under sub- section (1) and includes a Central Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub- section (2) of section 5;

(d) " Chief Information Commissioner" and" Information Commissioner" mean the Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioner appointed under sub- section (3) of section 12;

(e) " competent authority" means-

(i) the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly of a State or a Union territory having such Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of States or Legislative Council of a State;

(ii) the Chief Justice of India in the case of the Supreme Court;

(iii) the Chief Justice of the High Court in the case of a High Court;

(iv) the President or the Governor, as the case may be, in the case of other authorities established or constituted by or under the Constitution;

(v) the administrator appointed under article 239 of the Constitution;

(f) " information" means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e- mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force;

(g) " prescribed" means prescribed by rules made under this Act by the appropriate Government or the competent authority, as the case may be;

(h) " public authority" means any authority or body or institution of self- government established or constituted-

(a) by or under the Constitution;

(b) by any other law made by Parliament;

(d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government, and includes any-

(i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed;

(ii) non- Government organisation substantially financed, directly or indirectly by funds provided by the appropriate Government;

(i) " record" includes-

(a) any document, manuscript and file;

(b) any microfilm, microfiche and facsimile copy of a document;

(d) any other material produced by a computer or any other device;

(j) " right to information" means the right to information accessible under this Act which is held by or under the control of any public authority and includes the right to-

(i) inspection of work, documents, records;

(ii) taking notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records;

(iii) taking certified samples of material;

(iv) obtaining information in the form of diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device;

(k) " State Information Commission" means the State Information Commission constituted under sub- section (1) of section 15;

(l) " State Chief Information Commissioner" and" State Information Commissioner" mean the State Chief Information Commissioner and the State Information Commissioner appointed under sub- section (3) of section 15;

(m) " State Public Information Officer" means the State Public Information Officer designated under sub- section (1) and includes a State Assistant Public Information Officer designated as such under sub- section (2) of section 5;

(n) " third party" means a person other than the citizen making a request for information and includes a public authority. CHAPTER II RIGHT TO INFORMATION AND OBLIGATIONS OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES CHAPTER II RIGHT TO INFORMATION AND OBLIGATIONS OF PUBLIC AUTHORITIES