New Delhi, Oct. 17 -- Kerala is set to become the first of India's 22 states and Union territories with Right to Public Service legislation to bring the law into the digital era, and, more importantly, give it some real teeth.

The draft Kerala Right to Public Service Bill, 2024, approved by the state cabinet last month, marks another attempt at rights-based legislation. India already has a Right to Food and a Right to Education; now, Kerala citizens will additionally enjoy the right to time-bound delivery of public services, guaranteed by law.

The draft Bill, cleared for presentation in the legislature, replaces the 13-year-old Kerala State Right to Service Act, 2012. It differs from the existing law in two key ways. First, it brings ci...