Page:Freedom of Information Act, 2002 on Gazette of India.pdf/2

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

(a) “appropriate Government” means in relation to a public authority established, constituted, owned, substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly or controlled—

(i) by the Central Government, the Central Government;

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

(iii) by the Union territory, the Central Government;

(b) “competent authority” means—

(i) the Speaker in the case of the House of the People or the Legislative Assembly and the Chairman in the case of the Council of States or the Legislative Council;

(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 created by or under the Constitution;

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

(c) “freedom of information” means the right to obtain information from any public authority by means of,—

(i) inspection, taking of extracts and notes;

(ii) certified copies of any records of such public authority;

(iii) diskettes, floppies or in any other electronic mode or through print-outs where such information is stored in a computer or in any other device;

(d) “information” means any material in any form relating to the administration, operations or decisions of a public authority;

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

(f) “public authority” means any authority or body established or constituted,—

(i) by or under the Constitution;

(ii) by any law made by the appropriate Government,

and includes any other body owned, controlled or substantially financed by funds provided directly or indirectly by the appropriate Government;

(g) “Public Information Officer” means the Public Information Officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 5;

(h) “record” includes—

(i) any document, manuscript and file;

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

(iii) any reproduction of image or images embodied in such microfilm (whether enlarged or not); and

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

(i) “third party” means a person other than the person making a request for information and includes a public authority.