- 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

(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

(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;

(c) by any other law made by State Legislature;

(d) by notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government,

(i) body owned, controlled or substantially financed;

(ii) non-Government organization substantially financed,

(i) 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 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.