Internet, a Basic Human Right?

“Internet is a great empowering tool and it should be channelized in a way that governance issues are addressed adequately,” said Aruna Roy, member of National Advisory Council, which lays the government’s social agenda.  Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member of Association for Democratic Reforms, a civil society group established by teachers at IIM-A says “Internet can facilitate wider access to information and all must work towards it. Let’s spread the usage of Internet and increase its reach.”

While nations such as the Netherlands have already recognized internet as a basic right, India has only recently recognized the role of information and the internet.

“Every public authority should provide as much information to the public through various means of communications so that the public has minimum need to use the Act to obtain information,” states a provision in India’s Right to Information Act. “The Internet being one of the most effective means of communications, the information may be posted on a website.”

The right to information will be successfully implemented only if the content is disseminated widely. And perhaps there is no better medium than the Internet which can accomplish this task effectively.