07-10-2026:Address by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand on the 21st Anniversary of the RTI Act and Youth Dialogue Programme
Right to Information: From an Aware Citizen to an Empowered Democracy
Address by the Hon’ble Governor of Uttarakhand on the 21st Anniversary of the RTI Act and Youth Dialogue Programme
(Date: October 07, 2026)
Jai Hind!
Respected dignitaries on the dais, esteemed officials of the Uttarakhand Information Commission, respected teachers, parents, dear students, and my young friends!
First and foremost, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on the 21st anniversary of the Right to Information Act.
Standing here today, I do not see merely colours and words on this stage. I see dreams expressed through colours, emotions conveyed through words, and, above all, the vision of a bright future for India reflected in the minds of these young children.
Our children have expressed their imagination and their understanding of society through paintings. Our students have connected the Right to Information with citizenship and democracy through their essays. And our young friends have presented their thoughts with reason and conviction through debates. In all of this, I see a beautiful and hopeful face of Indian democracy.
I wholeheartedly congratulate every student who participated in the painting, essay-writing and debate competitions. Because the greatest strength of a democracy lies not merely in its institutions, but in its aware and responsible citizens.
Our Upanishads contain a beautiful prayer:
“Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya” — Lead us from darkness to light.
I believe that the Right to Information is also a journey towards that light. Where there is a lack of reliable information, confusion and distrust tend to grow. Where credible information is available, awareness, participation and trust become stronger.
Therefore, the Right to Information is not merely a means of obtaining information from a government office. It gives citizens an opportunity to understand governance, ask questions and ensure their participation in the functioning of the system. It is an important foundation of transparency, accountability and citizen empowerment.
Today, we are commemorating 21 years of the journey of the Right to Information Act, 2005 — a journey that has given a new direction to dialogue, transparency and accountability between citizens and the government.
These 21 years have reminded us that democracy does not function through elections alone. Democracy becomes stronger through continuous dialogue, questions, answers and trust.
I am pleased that the Uttarakhand Information Commission has not confined RTI awareness to government offices, but has also made efforts to take it to students in schools, colleges and universities. Today’s initiative is a reflection of that very approach.
I often say that a school is not merely a place where knowledge is imparted; it is also a place where citizens are shaped.
When a child goes home and asks: What development work is being undertaken in our village? Who is benefiting from a particular government scheme? What facility has been sanctioned for our area? Where can we find information about it?
That child is not merely asking a question. He or she is planting a seed of awareness within the family. That seed eventually grows into a tree of civic consciousness in society.
From this perspective, the effort to take awareness about the Right to Information to homes and communities through children is extremely important.
Painting teaches us that ideas do not have a single language. Essays teach us how to give words and reasoning to our thoughts. And debates teach us to express our views with conviction, while also developing the democratic discipline of listening to and respecting the views of others.
That is democracy.
Democracy does not mean merely expressing one’s own opinion. Democracy means expressing one’s views, listening to others, and maintaining dialogue even in the midst of disagreement.
Today’s youth have access to more sources of information than ever before. Mobile phones, the internet and digital platforms have brought the world into the palm of our hands.
But here, we must understand an important distinction:
Information and knowledge are not the same.
Not every piece of information is necessarily correct. Therefore, while acquiring information is important, what is even more important is verifying its authenticity, understanding its source and using it responsibly.
Today, we have entered the age of Artificial Intelligence. Tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Copilot can provide information to us within moments. But while technology can provide us with information, the wisdom to recognise truth is something we must develop ourselves.
Therefore, my young friends, in the digital age, your greatest strength will not merely be technological competence, but your ability to think critically, exercise judgement and verify information.
Check the source. Examine the facts. And then believe.
Alongside this, I would also like to make another important appeal to my young friends.
Stay away from drugs and make every effort to keep your friends away from substance abuse as well. Channel your energy not into addiction, but into education, sports, innovation, service and nation-building.
Parents, teachers and society must also work together to create an environment in which our youth can move forward and realise their full potential.
The Right to Information is not only a citizen’s right; it is also a measure of the accountability of governance.
The more essential information governments and institutions proactively make available to citizens, in a timely manner, the less the need will be for citizens to repeatedly seek such information through RTI applications.
In fact, the success of RTI should not be measured merely by how much information citizens seek. Its real success will come when the government proactively makes essential information available — automatically, in simple language and in a timely manner — so that citizens do not have to repeatedly file applications merely to access information that ought to be in the public domain.
Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji has also emphasised transparency and accountability as important pillars of good governance, while stressing the active participation of citizens in governance.
Today, good governance does not simply mean formulating schemes and policies. It also means providing citizens with accurate information in a timely manner, ensuring their participation, and continuously strengthening their trust in governance.
Technology has opened up new possibilities in this direction. Online services and hybrid hearings save citizens time, effort and resources. In a mountainous state like Uttarakhand, their importance is even greater, because for citizens living in remote areas, every journey involves considerable time and expenditure.
The introduction of hybrid hearings by the Information Commission from January 2024 is significant from this perspective.
For the Right to Information to be truly effective, citizen awareness must be accompanied by strengthening the capacity of the administrative system.
During 2025–26, the Commission organised 21 training programmes and trained 897 officials. This effort demonstrates that transparency is achieved not merely through legislation, but also through a work culture that is sensitive to, and capable of implementing, the spirit of the law.
Today, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the students who have received awards.
But to those students who could not receive an award today, I would also like to say this:
The result of a competition is not the final judgement of your talent.
You participated. You thought. You wrote. You painted. You presented arguments. You expressed your ideas.
That itself is a great achievement.
Success in life does not come merely from winning awards. True success lies in keeping alive the curiosity that inspires us to continue learning, growing and moving forward.
Our democratic system will become stronger only when our understanding of duties becomes as strong as our awareness of rights.
An aware citizen is one who asks questions, but also understands facts; who knows his or her rights, but also fulfils responsibilities; who seeks information, but uses it in the larger interest of society and the nation.
Today’s Youth Dialogue gives us a clear message:
Information is not merely the power to know; it is the power to become a responsible citizen.
Information leads to awareness.
Awareness leads to participation.
Participation leads to accountability.
And accountability strengthens good governance.
This is the foundation of an empowered democracy.
Let us, therefore, resolve today to make transparency a culture of governance, accountability a culture of administration, and citizen participation the strength of our democracy.
The power of aware and responsible citizens will become a strong foundation for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, a prosperous Bharat and a Viksit Bharat.
I am confident that our youth will not merely remain spectators of democracy, but will become its aware, responsible and active participants.
It is this youthful energy, this civic consciousness and these democratic values that will pave the way for a stronger Uttarakhand and a developed India.
An aware citizen is the hallmark of an empowered democracy, and an empowered democracy is the strongest foundation for a developed Uttarakhand and a developed India.
With this faith and resolve, I extend my heartfelt greetings and best wishes to all of you and conclude my address.
Vande Mataram!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Jai Hind!