The government has denied the allegations and says it only orders removal of unlawful content and the RTI law continues to follow a principle of "maximum disclosure and minimum exemptions." The latest controversy surrounds a one-line amendment to the RTI law that came into force in November with the new privacy law, called the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, and excludes any "personal information" from release. India's law ministry and the Department of Personnel and Training, which has responsibility for the RTI law, did not respond to Reuters queries on the challenges. New Delhi-based journalists' group, The Reporters' Collective, is among those challenging the law in the Supreme Court, saying in its court filing it would hamper effective reporting. The group told the court in its filing the Indian law would "force citizens and journalists to self-censor to avoid massive penalties."

Source: bd News24 March 20, 2026 12:21 UTC