Capturing Institutional Change: The Case of the Right to Information Act in India
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SYNOPSIS
Historically, the Indian state had embraced the norm of secrecy since its independence in 1947. Despite this persisting legacy, the state promulgated the Right to Information Act (RTIA) in 2005. What explains this institutional change ? This talk examines the how and why of institutional change through the lenses of transformation in the ‘information regime’ in India by tracing the passage of the Right to Information Act (RTIA), 2005. Using archival material, internal government documents, and interviews, this research suggests an alternative historical institutional approach to problematize the dominant (and somewhat settled) narratives about the evolution of RTIA and seeks to set the history straight.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Dr Himanshu Jha teaches in the Department of Political Science at the South Asia Institute, Heidelberg University, Germany. He holds a PhD from the National University of Singapore where he held the prestigious Singapore’s president fellowship. His research primarily focuses on institutional change, governance and development, politics of accountability, state capacity and bureaucratic rationality. Himanshu’s most recent book titled Capturing Institutional Change: the Case of the Right to Information Act in India(Oxford University Press) explores the why, how and what of institutional change using a historical institutional lens. Building on the current body of work he has further probed institutional progression of Right To Information and its deepening at the sub-national level. In addition he wants to probe a pertinent question: – How do weak states develop state capacity? Some of his initial arguments were recently published as a comment in “Building State Capability” program at the Harvard University. In the next leg of his research journey, he wishes to expand these potent research areas. Himanshu has published widely in academic journals, edited books and contributed his views in the popular media. Prior to his academic engagement, he worked in the developmental sector in India where , he focussed on blending academic, socially relevant and action based research with active advocacy at various policy levels.