The government says the upcoming amendment to the RTI Act will still support transparency and won’t block access to personal information.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and civil society groups are worried the amendment—linked to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act—will reduce access to key public info like subsidy details.
The amendment will come into effect once DPDP Rules are notified in the coming weeks.
Activists say this change will weaken the RTI Act and hurt efforts to expose corruption or misuse of power.
Over 120 Opposition MPs have asked the government to repeal the amendment.
Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says the change is needed to balance the right to information with the right to privacy (under Article 21), as recognized by the Supreme Court.
Critics argue this balance already exists under the current RTI law, especially in Section 8(1)(j).
The government insists legally required disclosures will still be made and the amendment is meant to stop misuse.
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