RTI is dead, long live RTI, Pg10.

Key Highlights:

• The RTI Act completed 20 years on October 12, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the struggle for the legislation in Beawar, Rajasthan.
• Beawar is known as the "RTI City" and is planning to build a memorial and museum to commemorate its contribution to the RTI movement.
• The recently passed Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) threatens to undermine the RTI Act by restricting access to personal information.
• Section 44(3) of the DPDPA amends the RTI Act, potentially hindering the ability to demand accountability by protecting personal information.

Detailed Insights:

• The RTI Act has been a powerful tool for citizens to access government information and hold authorities accountable, but the DPDPA introduces a blanket exemption on "personal information".
• Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act previously balanced the right to information with the right to privacy, but the DPDPA amendment removes the qualifier that information related to public interest could not be considered private.
• The DPDPA imposes hefty fines of up to Rs 250 crore for revealing personal information without consent, impacting journalists, academics, politicians, and RTI activists.
• An amendment to the RTI Act removes the provision that information which cannot be denied to the legislature or Parliament, cannot be denied to a citizen, weakening the power of ordinary citizens.
• Despite widespread protests from MPs, journalists, and civil society organizations, the government has not engaged in democratic consultation regarding the DPDPA's impact on the RTI Act.
• The planned RTI Museum in Beawar aims to serve as a resource and inspiration for promoting transparency, open government, and constitutional values.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Right to Information (RTI) Act: Legislation empowering citizens to request information from public authorities.
• Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA): Law regulating the processing of digital personal data and impacting information access.
• Accountability: The obligation of individuals or organizations to answer for their actions and decisions.