Modelling Right to Information Queries via Item Response Theory

The present work is an attempt to use models present in Item Response Theory, which are psychometric models, for modelling Right to Information (RTI) queries. A synthetic matrix resembling our RTI dataset (construction on-going) has been created and we have applied Graded Response Model (GRM) to the data. Outcomes of the experiment have helped us identify latent patterns regarding the RTI query-reply process. The model assigns values to the latent ability of each institution, which we shall call transparency of an institution, and showed us how each institution behaves differently to different topics of RTI queries. It also shows which institutions are good at replying to RTI queries and which institutions perform poorly. Such differences across different departments and institutions imply a possible scope for amendments to the ordinances of the institutions.