RTI Rights Under Threat: Congress Urges Repeal of DPDP Amendment

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has urged IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reconsider the amendment to the RTI Act 2005, made through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. Ramesh argues that the change prohibits sharing personal information and undermines citizens' right to information, despite Vaishnaw's defense stating otherwise.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has called upon IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to review and repeal an amendment affecting the RTI Act of 2005, made through the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023.

Ramesh contends that the change unjustly hinders citizens' right to information by preventing the disclosure of personal information. In contrast, Minister Vaishnaw claims it preserves transparency by safeguarding only private details.

This conflict echoes a broader dissatisfaction among politicians and civil society groups, who criticize the amendment for limiting access to information under the guise of protecting privacy.

(With inputs from agencies.)