Table of Contents
S.P. Gupta v. Union of India (Judges' Transfer)
Quick Reply: Right to information on matters of public interest inheres in Article 19[1][a]; subject only to the strictest requirement of public interest Disclosure is the rule; secrecy the exception.
Supreme Court of India (Constitution Bench) · 1981-12-30 · AIR 1982 SC 149 · ★ Landmark
Right to information on matters of public interest inheres in Article 19[1][a]; subject only to the strictest requirement of public interest Disclosure is the rule; secrecy the exception.
Disclosure is the rule; secrecy the exception. Open government is the basic rule.
Case details
| Court | Supreme Court of India (Constitution Bench) |
|---|---|
| Decided | 1981-12-30 |
| Citation | AIR 1982 SC 149 |
| Bench | P.N. Bhagwati, A.C. Gupta, S. Murtaza Fazal Ali, V.D. Tulzapurkar, D.A. Desai, R.S. Pathak, E.S. Venkataramiah |
| Petitioner | S.P. Gupta & Ors. |
| Respondent | Union of India |
| RTI Act sections | — |
| Outcome | Partly allowed |
Outcome
Right to information on matters of public interest inheres in Article 19(1)(a); subject only to the strictest requirement of public interest
Ratio decidendi
The right to know emanates from the right of free speech and expression in Article 19(1)(a). Disclosure of information is the rule; concealment, the exception.
Keywords
open government, transparency, Article 19(1)(a), foundational
Later rulings that cite this case
- CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (SC 2011)
- ADR v. Union of India (Electoral Bonds) (SC 2024)
Similar cases in the corpus
- State of U.P. v. Raj Narain (SC 1975)
- Union of India v. ADR (2002) (SC 2002)
- ADR v. Union of India (Electoral Bonds) (SC 2024)
- K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (SC 2017)
Related
Editorial summary, not a certified report. The ratio here is an editorial compression. Before citing this ruling in a PIO order, FAA speaking order, or any appellate filing, verify against the full reported decision. RTI Wiki is not a legal service.
Editorial summary ·