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DPDP Act's Amendment to RTI Act Raises Right-to-Information Concerns
સમાચારમાં કેમ?
Which RTI clause did the DPDP Act quietly widen? Section 8(1)(j) and the privacy-versus-transparency trade-off
The DPDP Act's amendment to RTI Act Section 8(1)(j) has widened the personal-information exemption, raising concerns about weakened transparency.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2018; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 મિનિટ
The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act amended Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, widening the exemption for withholding personal information from RTI disclosure.
Transparency advocates argue this lets public authorities deny information more readily by classifying it as 'personal', weakening the RTI Act's original balance between privacy and the citizen's right to know.
The issue sits at the intersection of the RTI Act's disclosure regime and the DPDP Act's data-protection framework.
સ્રોત: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
મુખ્ય તથ્યો
Remember these
- The DPDP Act amended Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
- Section 8(1)(j) is the exemption for personal information under the RTI Act.
- Critics say authorities can now deny information more readily by labelling it 'personal'.
- Section 4(1)(b) covers proactive disclosure; Section 24 exempts intelligence and security organisations.
- The issue sits between the RTI disclosure regime and the DPDP data-protection framework.
પ્રિલિમ્સ · મેઇન્સ
How the exam will ask it
પ્રિલિમ્સ
- Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, 2005 provides an exemption for personal information; the DPDP Act amended this clause.
- Section 4(1)(b) of the RTI Act requires public authorities to make proactive disclosures.
- Section 24 of the RTI Act exempts certain intelligence and security organisations from its scope.
- The RTI Act, 2005 is a statutory right flowing from Article 19(1)(a), while privacy is protected under Article 21.
મેઇન્સ
GS-II Polity: The DPDP Act's amendment to Section 8(1)(j) widens the personal-information exemption, which critics say weakens the RTI Act's original balance between privacy and the right to know. Examine how the amended provision interacts with the DPDP framework and the risk of blanket denials of information. Way forward: clear definitions of 'personal information', a public-interest override and oversight by information commissions.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements:
- 'Right to Privacy' is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution
- In digital economy, privacy of an individual is subject to a reasonable restriction that can be imposed by the state
- The Parliament is empowered to make laws for implementing directive principles of state policy
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
જવાબ જુઓ
જવાબ: D
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act's amendment to the Right to Information Act, 2005 has widened the exemption from disclosure under which Section of the RTI Act?
- Section 4(1)(b)
- Section 6(1)
- Section 8(1)(j)
- Section 24
જવાબ જુઓ
જવાબ: C — Correct: Section 8(1)(j) — the Digital Personal Data Protection Act amended this exemption clause for personal information, widening the grounds on which information can be withheld under the RTI Act. • Section 4(1)(b) — wrong: this covers proactive disclosure, not the amended exemption. • Section 6(1) — wrong: this covers how requests are filed. • Section 24 — wrong: this exempts intelligence/security bodies, unrelated to this amendment.
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