About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note on the constitutional basis of the right to information, the Right to Information Act 2064, duties of public bodies, time limits, exemptions, appeals and the National Information Commission.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Administration and Law · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
Which Article of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 guarantees the right to information?
- A) Article 17
- B) Article 33
- C) Article 27 ✔
- D) Article 51
Why: Article 27 of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 is titled Right to information.
In which Part of the Constitution is the right to information placed?
- A) Part 3, Fundamental Rights and Duties ✔
- B) Part 4, Directive Principles
- C) Part 23, Public Service Commission
- D) Part 7, Federal Executive
Why: Article 27 is a fundamental right under Part 3 of the Constitution.
What limit does Article 27 itself place on the right to information?
- A) Only government employees may ask for information
- B) No one can be forced to give information that must be kept confidential by law ✔
- C) Information can be asked for only once a year
- D) Only information older than ten years can be given
Why: Article 27 says no one is compelled to give information that is to be kept confidential according to law.
When was the Right to Information Act 2064 authenticated?
- A) 1 Asar 2064 BS
- B) 23 Magh 2064 BS
- C) 3 Asoj 2064 BS
- D) 5 Shrawan 2064 BS ✔
Why: The RTI Act was authenticated on 5 Shrawan 2064 BS, in July 2007.
The Rules made under the Right to Information Act were made in which year?
- A) 2065 BS ✔
- B) 2063 BS
- C) 2070 BS
- D) 2072 BS
Why: The Right to Information Rules were made in 2065 BS.
What is the main purpose of the Right to Information Act 2064?
- A) To control the press
- B) To fix fees for passports
- C) To make the state open, transparent and accountable to citizens ✔
- D) To register political parties
Why: The Act aims at openness and accountability by making information of public importance easy to obtain.
Which of the following is included in the definition of a public body under the RTI Act?
- A) A private family home
- B) A foreign embassy in Kathmandu
- C) A privately owned shop with no public funds
- D) A registered political party ✔
Why: The Act's broad definition of public body includes political parties registered under law.
Which NGOs come under the definition of public body in the RTI Act?
- A) All NGOs, even without any funding
- B) NGOs receiving funds from the government, foreign governments or international organisations ✔
- C) Only NGOs working in Kathmandu
- D) No NGOs at all
Why: NGOs that receive funds from the government, foreign governments or international organisations are public bodies under the Act.
How often must a public body update its proactive disclosure under Section 5 of the RTI Act?
- A) Every year
- B) Every month
- C) Every three months ✔
- D) Every five years
Why: Section 5 requires public bodies to publish and update information every three months.
Publishing information on its own, without waiting for a request, is called what?
- A) Proactive or suo motu disclosure ✔
- B) Classification
- C) Social audit
- D) Appeal
Why: Proactive (suo motu) disclosure means a body releases information by itself.
Under Section 6 of the RTI Act, every public body must appoint which official?
- A) A public prosecutor
- B) An information officer ✔
- C) A chief auditor
- D) A press secretary of the Prime Minister
Why: Section 6 requires every public body to appoint an information officer to give out information.
To whom does a citizen first submit an application for information?
- A) The Supreme Court
- B) The Chief District Officer
- C) The National Information Commission
- D) The information officer of the public body ✔
Why: The application is made to the information officer of the body that holds the information.
If information cannot be given immediately, within how many days must it be provided?
- A) 7 days
- B) 15 days ✔
- C) 35 days
- D) 60 days
Why: The information officer must provide it within 15 days of the application.
Information about the safety of a person's life must be provided within what time?
- A) 7 days
- B) 3 days
- C) 24 hours ✔
- D) 15 days
Why: The Act requires information concerning the safety of life to be given within 24 hours.
On what basis is the fee for information fixed?
- A) The actual cost of providing the information ✔
- B) The monthly salary of the information officer
- C) A fixed fine of one thousand rupees
- D) The age of the applicant
Why: The applicant pays a fee based on the actual cost of providing the information, such as copying.
What must the information officer do if the requested information is not held by that body?
- A) Destroy the application
- B) Charge a double fee
- C) Send the applicant to court
- D) Inform the applicant of that fact ✔
Why: The officer must tell the applicant that the information is not held by that body.
Which of the following is a valid ground for withholding information under Section 3 of the RTI Act?
- A) Release would seriously harm national security ✔
- B) The information would embarrass a minister
- C) The office is busy
- D) The applicant belongs to a different district
Why: Serious harm to sovereignty, integrity or national security is a ground for withholding; embarrassment or convenience is not.
Which of the following is NOT a ground for withholding information under the RTI Act?
- A) Harm to the investigation of a crime
- B) The officer personally dislikes the applicant ✔
- C) Disturbance of harmony among communities
- D) Interference with a person's privacy
Why: Personal dislike is not a lawful reason; the other three are recognised grounds for withholding.
What does the RTI Act say about whistleblowers?
- A) They must pay a penalty
- B) They lose their jobs automatically
- C) They must first get permission from Parliament
- D) An employee who reveals wrongdoing in good faith must not be punished or harmed ✔
Why: The Act protects employees who disclose corruption or wrongdoing in good faith.
If information is refused, to whom should the applicant first complain, and within how many days?
- A) The National Information Commission within 35 days
- B) The Prime Minister within 15 days
- C) The chief of the public body within 7 days ✔
- D) The High Court within 60 days
Why: The first complaint goes to the chief of the public body within 7 days.
Within how many days can an applicant appeal to the National Information Commission against the chief's decision?
- A) 7 days
- B) 35 days ✔
- C) 15 days
- D) 90 days
Why: An appeal to the National Information Commission must be filed within 35 days.
Within how many days must the National Information Commission decide an appeal?
- A) 60 days ✔
- B) 15 days
- C) 35 days
- D) 120 days
Why: The Commission must settle an appeal within 60 days.
What is the composition of the National Information Commission?
- A) Five members including a chairperson
- B) A single commissioner
- C) A Chief Information Commissioner and two information commissioners ✔
- D) Seven members elected by Parliament
Why: The NIC has a Chief Information Commissioner and two information commissioners.
What is the term of office of the information commissioners?
- A) Three years
- B) Four years
- C) Six years
- D) Five years ✔
Why: Commissioners of the National Information Commission serve for five years.
Which of the following is a function of the National Information Commission?
- A) Hearing appeals and ordering public bodies to provide information ✔
- B) Conducting civil service examinations
- C) Collecting income tax
- D) Holding parliamentary elections
Why: The NIC hears appeals, orders bodies to give information and can fine officials who break the Act.
Under Article 27, on which matters may a citizen ask for information?
- A) Only matters of his or her own interest
- B) Matters of his or her own interest or of public interest ✔
- C) Only matters approved by the Cabinet
- D) Only matters related to foreign affairs
Why: Article 27 covers information on any matter of one's own interest or of public interest.
To whom does the constitutional right to information under Article 27 belong?
- A) Every citizen of Nepal ✔
- B) Only government employees
- C) Only journalists
- D) Every person living anywhere in the world
Why: The note states that the constitutional right belongs to citizens of Nepal.
When did the Right to Information Act 2064 come into force?
- A) On the day of authentication
- B) After one year
- C) On the thirtieth day after authentication ✔
- D) On the first day of the next fiscal year
Why: The Act came into force on the thirtieth day after its authentication.
The Right to Information Act 2064 corresponds to which AD year?
- A) 2005
- B) 2015
- C) 2010
- D) 2007 ✔
Why: 2064 BS corresponds to 2007 AD, when the Act was passed.
Under which constitution was the RTI Act passed?
- A) Constitution of Nepal 2072
- B) Interim Constitution ✔
- C) Constitution of 2019 BS
- D) Constitution of 2047 BS, as first amended in 2072
Why: The note says the RTI Act was passed while the Interim Constitution was in force.
Under the RTI Act, what does the term information mean?
- A) Only secret military files
- B) Personal letters between private citizens
- C) Any document, material or information about the functions, proceedings or decisions of public importance of a public body ✔
- D) Only news published in newspapers
Why: The Act defines information as material about the public-importance work and decisions of a public body.
Which of the following is NOT a public body under the RTI Act?
- A) A constitutional body
- B) A public corporation receiving government grants
- C) A registered political party
- D) A purely private household ✔
Why: Private households are not public bodies; the others are included in the Act's definition.
Why is the RTI Act said to reach much further than government offices alone?
- A) Because it applies only to courts
- B) Because political parties and funded NGOs are also public bodies ✔
- C) Because it applies to foreign countries
- D) Because it covers private diaries
Why: Including political parties and NGOs receiving public or foreign funds widens its reach.
Which of the following is an example of information to be published under proactive disclosure?
- A) The fees and time limits for services ✔
- B) Private medical records of staff
- C) Secret defence plans
- D) Home addresses of applicants
Why: Section 5 requires publishing fees and time limits for services, among other things.
Which Section of the RTI Act deals with proactive disclosure?
- A) Section 3
- B) Section 6
- C) Section 5 ✔
- D) Section 32
Why: Proactive (suo motu) disclosure is required under Section 5.
Which Section of the RTI Act requires the appointment of an information officer?
- A) Section 6 ✔
- B) Section 5
- C) Section 3
- D) Section 1
Why: Section 6 requires every public body to appoint an information officer.
Which Section of the RTI Act lists the grounds on which information may be withheld?
- A) Section 6
- B) Section 3 ✔
- C) Section 5
- D) Section 9
Why: The note states the withholding grounds under Section 3.
What should an applicant state in the application for information?
- A) The reason for wanting the information ✔
- B) His or her monthly salary
- C) The names of all family members
- D) A recommendation from a ward chair
Why: The note says the citizen applies to the information officer stating the reason for wanting the information.
An information officer cannot give the information at once. What must he or she tell the applicant?
- A) Nothing at all
- B) To apply again next year
- C) To go to the Supreme Court
- D) The reason for the delay ✔
Why: When information cannot be given immediately, the applicant must be told the reason for the delay.
A citizen fears for a person's life and asks for related information. What is the time limit?
- A) 15 days
- B) 7 days
- C) 24 hours ✔
- D) 35 days
Why: Information concerning the safety of a person's life must be provided within 24 hours.
A citizen asks for photocopies of a public body's expenditure records. How is the fee fixed?
- A) At a flat rate of ten thousand rupees
- B) Based on the actual cost, such as the cost of copies ✔
- C) Free for everyone in all cases
- D) As decided by the applicant
Why: The fee is based on the actual cost of providing the information, for example copies.
Which of the following is a recognised ground for withholding information?
- A) The information is old
- B) The request is in Nepali
- C) The applicant is a student
- D) Release would seriously harm Nepal's international relations ✔
Why: Serious harm to international relations is one of the Section 3 grounds.
Information whose release would disturb harmony among castes, communities or religions may be:
- A) Withheld ✔
- B) Published immediately
- C) Sold to the media
- D) Given only to foreigners
Why: Disturbing communal or religious harmony is a ground for withholding information.
Why does the RTI Act provide a classification process through a committee?
- A) To make all information secret forever
- B) To increase fees
- C) So that information is not kept secret without limit ✔
- D) To punish applicants
Why: The committee-based classification ensures information is not kept secret indefinitely.
An employee reveals corruption in his office in good faith. Under the RTI Act he:
- A) Must be dismissed
- B) Must pay a fine
- C) Must be transferred to a remote district
- D) Must not be punished or harmed for it ✔
Why: The Act protects whistleblowers who disclose wrongdoing in good faith.
In which of these situations can an applicant use the complaint and appeal remedy?
- A) When information is refused, given only in part or given wrongly ✔
- B) Only when the officer is absent
- C) Only when the fee is paid late
- D) Only for information older than 20 years
Why: The two-step remedy applies when information is refused, partly given or wrongly given.
Besides ordering information to be provided, what else may the National Information Commission do?
- A) Dissolve Parliament
- B) Fine officials who withhold or delay information without good reason ✔
- C) Sentence officials to life imprisonment
- D) Appoint ministers
Why: The NIC may fine officials who withhold or delay information without good reason.
On whose recommendation are the information commissioners appointed?
- A) The Chief Justice alone
- B) The Election Commission
- C) A committee chaired by the Speaker ✔
- D) The President's military secretary
Why: The Government appoints them on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Speaker.
Which of the following is NOT a function of the National Information Commission?
- A) Hearing appeals
- B) Inspecting the records of public bodies
- C) Giving suggestions to the government on RTI
- D) Prosecuting murder cases in court ✔
Why: Prosecuting crimes is not an NIC function; the other three are listed functions.
Why is the right to information called a strong tool against corruption?
- A) It abolishes all government offices
- B) Officials who know their work can be checked tend to act more carefully ✔
- C) It gives citizens the power to arrest officials
- D) It removes the need for audits
Why: The note explains that the possibility of scrutiny makes officials act more carefully.