NITI Aayog had flagged that Data Protection Act could weaken RTI: Report
The recommendations were not accepted as the Department of Personnel and Training did express any concerns, reported ‘The Indian Express’.
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Union government-run think tank NITI Aayog had objected to the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act that propose an amendment to the Right to Information Act, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
Citing the response received under a Right to Information query, the newspaper reported that NITI Aayog had written to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on January 16, 2023, urging it to not pass the law in its current form as it could weaken the Right to Information Act.
The Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2023 was passed by the Parliament in August 2023. In the same month, President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday gave her assent to it. Rules under the Act are yet to be notified.
After the Act was passed, activists and experts told Scroll that they fear the law undermines the Right to Information Act. This was because the Digital Personal Data Protection Act amends Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act.
Presently, Section 8(1)(j) prevents a public authority from sharing anyone’s personal information if the disclosure of this information has no bearing on any public activity or interest, or the disclosure of the information would cause an unwarranted invasion of the privacy of an individual, unless such disclosure is justified in larger public interest.
However, Clause 44(3) of the Data...
