DPDP Act does not ‘dilute’ RTI Act, A-G says in opinion, Pg10

Key Highlights:

• Attorney-General R. Venkataramani stated that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) 2023 does not dilute the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2005.
• Civil society groups argued that the DPDP Act's amendment to Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act undermines transparency by creating a total exemption for personal information.
• Mr. Venkataramani clarified that Section 8(2) of the RTI Act allows disclosure of exempted information if public interest outweighs harm.
• The Centre notified the RTI amendment in November 2025, concurrent with a 12-18 month implementation timeline for other parts of the DPDP Act.

Detailed Insights:

• The core debate revolves around the balance between the right to privacy under the DPDP Act and the right to information under the RTI Act.
• Section 8(1) of the RTI Act outlines exemptions where information is not obligated to be disclosed to citizens.
• The previous language of Section 8(1)(j) exempted personal information disclosure if it lacked public interest or caused unwarranted privacy invasion, unless a larger public interest justified disclosure.
• The Supreme Court's Puttaswamy case judgment mandated a balance between privacy and transparency, which the government argues is upheld by the DPDP Act.

Key Concepts Involved:

• RTI Act: Legislation that provides citizens access to government-held information, promoting transparency and accountability.
• DPDP Act: Law that regulates the processing of digital personal data to protect individuals' privacy rights.
• Section 8: Provision within the RTI Act that lists exemptions from information disclosure.