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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticized a recent amendment to the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, which he believes destroys the essence of the Act.
The amendment, introduced under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, removes the clause that allowed citizens to access personal information from public authorities if there was a public interest in doing so.
Over 30 civil society groups have raised concerns, arguing that the change restricts transparency and accountability.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw argued that the 2017 Supreme Court judgment on privacy made this part of the RTI Act unnecessary, but activists believe the Act had already balanced privacy and public interest.
Jairam Ramesh urged the Minister to repeal the amendment in the interests of maintaining transparency and public access to information.
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