Civil Liberties & RTI

Under the Right to Information Act, 2005, any citizen can apply to a Public Information Officer (PIO) for information held by government bodies. ₹10 fee (free for BPL). PIO must respond within 30 days (48 hours for life/liberty). File via RTI Online Portal (rtionline.gov.in) for central agencies, or state RTI portals / postal application to PIO directly. Appeals to First Appellate Authority within 30 days; Information Commission within 90 days.

Any public-spirited citizen can file a PIL in the Supreme Court (Article 32) or High Court (Article 226) to vindicate public interest. Frivolous PILs attract heavy costs.

Same-sex relations were decriminalised in 2018 by the Supreme Court in Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (reading down Section 377 IPC, now reflected in BNS 2023). Transgender persons have legal recognition and rights under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. Same-sex marriage NOT yet recognised (Supriyo Chakraborty, 2023), but cohabitation, joint accounts, nominee rights are legal.

Discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth violates Articles 14 and 15. File a writ petition in High Court, or complaint with the relevant Commission (Women, SC/ST, Minorities, Human Rights).

Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion. However, multiple state Anti-Conversion Laws (UP, MP, Gujarat, HP, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan etc.) regulate religious conversion — particularly through 'force, allurement, marriage or fraud'. Voluntary conversion legal with notice.

Section 163 BNSS, 2023 (replaces Section 144 CrPC) empowers District Magistrate / SDM to issue prohibitory orders to prevent danger to human life, health, safety, public tranquility, riot or affray. Orders typically restrict assembly of 5+ persons, carrying weapons, etc. Valid for 2 months (extendable to 6 months). Can be challenged in High Court.

There is NO law in India that prohibits unmarried couples from booking hotel rooms. Hotels denying rooms on the basis of marital status violate Article 21 (privacy) and Article 14 (equality). Adults of consenting age have right to choose accommodation per K.S. Puttaswamy (2017) and multiple HC rulings. File consumer complaint, approach state tourism department, or use NHRC.