RTI Act 20th anniversary: Congress warns against its erosion

Bengaluru, Oct 12 (PTI) Marking the 20th anniversary of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Congress on Sunday reaffirmed the party's commitment to protect and strengthen the law, calling it one of the "greatest democratic reforms" of modern India and warned that its erosion amounts to an erosion of democracy itself.

In a statement, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the historic RTI Act came into being on October 12, 2005, during the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh.

The Act was a milestone in empowering citizens to access information, ensuring transparency and accountability in governance, and acting as a lifeline for the most marginalised sections of society.

However, since 2014, he said, “RTI has been consistently eroded.” The 2019 amendments “weakened independence and increased executive influence” by giving the Union Government control over the tenure and service conditions of Information Commissioners.

“RTI has been one of the greatest democratic reforms of modern India, enabling citizens to hold power accountable and its erosion is an erosion of democracy itself,” said Shivakumar, also the Congress state chief.

Further, the 2023 Digital Personal Data Protection Act broadened the scope of ‘personal information’, effectively turning it into an absolute exemption from disclosure.

“By treating critical public data as private, this undermines public audit and scrutiny,” the note added.

The Deputy CM also flagged the weakening of Central and State Information Commissions, pointing out that the Central Commission currently has only two members against a sanctioned strength of 11, and that as of June 2024, over 4.05 lakh appeals and complaints were pending nationwide.

“No answers were given when RTIs sought details on the PM’s foreign tours or the functioning of the PM CARES Fund,” it observed.

The note highlighted attacks on RTI activists, including the killings of Shehla Masood and Satish Shetty, and criticised the non-implementation of the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, calling it a 'deliberate refusal' by the government.

Reiterating RTI’s role as a way of constitutional and social empowerment, the Congress demanded restoration of Information Commissions’ independence, amendment of DPDP Act provisions, filling of vacancies, performance reporting, protection for RTI users and whistleblowers, and inclusion of journalists, activists, and women in Commissions. PTI GMS ROH