DPDP Act Leaves RTI Intact

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has clarified that the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 does not dilute the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. 
 
Officials stressed that recent amendments were only to remove redundancy and do not undermine citizens’ right to seek information.
  
IT Secretary S. Krishnan explained that Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act amends Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act by removing a proviso allowing disclosure of private information in the larger public interest.
 
 
However, this change does not reduce transparency since Section 8(2) already empowers public authorities to release any information if public interest outweighs privacy concerns.
 
 “So there is no dilution; in fact, there is strengthening,” Krishnan said.
 
 
The matter was raised in the Lok Sabha through a starred question. 

 
IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasized that the amendment balances the right to privacy—upheld by the Supreme Court—with the right to information, aligning with judicial reasoning and avoiding legal conflicts.
 
 
The ministry has also sought the Attorney General’s confirmation of this interpretation. 
 
 
While no amendments to the Act are planned, operational rules—pending for over 24 months—are expected soon after inter-ministerial review.