Background: The Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, is India's principal legislative mechanism for promoting transparency and accountability in governance, empowering citizens to seek public records. However, the efficacy of the Act varies significantly, often mediated by socio-economic factors and administrative efficiency. This study applies the Capability Approach to the semi-urban, industrial context of the Asansol Sub-Division, West Bengal, to deconstruct the systemic and educational barriers that prevent citizens from effectively realizing their “right to know.”

Objectives: The research aimed to (i) quantify the association between applicant educational attainment—a core capability—and successful information receipt, (ii) evaluate the impact of administrative responsiveness on applicant satisfaction, and (iii) explore qualitative perceptions of procedural barriers and systemic challenges.

Methodology: A mixed methods approach was adopted, combining a quantitative survey of 150 RTI applicants with qualitative semi-structured interviews of 20 applicants and 5 Public Information Officers (PIOs). Quantitative data were analyzed using a chi-square test of independence to examine the relationship between educational attainment (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary) and application outcome, and an independent-samples t-test to compare satisfaction scores based on response timeliness.

Results: The quantitative analysis revealed a statistically significant association between educational attainment and the likelihood of obtaining complete and timely information (χ² (2, N=149) =9.42, p<.01). Applicants with tertiary education demonstrated notably higher success rates. Furthermore, a significant difference was found in satisfaction scores (t (123) =3.87, p<.001), confirming that timely responses yielded substantially higher citizen satisfaction. Thematic analysis corroborated these findings, highlighting bureaucratic inertia (delays due to internal bottlenecks) and insufficient PIO training as key systemic barriers. Conversely, timely responses were consistently reported as increasing citizen trust in governance.