CHENNAI: An online petition opposing amendments to the Right to Information (RTI) Act through the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act has gained momentum, with activists and concerned citizens urging the government to roll back the changes.
The online petition, titled "Roll Back Amendments Made to the RTI Act through the Digital Personal Data Protection Act," calls for the non-operationalization of Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act, which amends Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act.
The online campaign was initiated by the National Campaign for Peoples' Right to Information, with the support of activists including Anjali Bhardwaj, Nikhil Dey, Venkatesh Nayak, Shailesh Gandhi and Jayaram Venkatesan.
The amendment in question exempts all personal information from disclosure, removing the previous safeguards that allowed access if the information was linked to public interest or government activities. Additionally, it eliminates a key provision that ensures that information accessible to Parliament or State Legislatures cannot be denied to citizens.
The petition argues that these changes severely weaken transparency and accountability in governance. Over the years, the RTI Act has enabled millions of citizens to expose corruption, demand better services, and hold authorities accountable.
The petition highlights that restricting access to crucial information under the guise of privacy could hinder public scrutiny of government actions. It stressed that a balanced approach is necessary, where data protection laws complement rather than undermine the RTI framework.
The petition urges the government to exercise its discretion under Section 1(2) of the DPDP Act and refrain from implementing Section 44(3).