Supreme Court Issues Notice on Plea Challenging DPDP Act's Impact on RTI

The Supreme Court has issued notice on a PIL challenging Section 44(3) of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which significantly restricts the Right to Information (RTI).

Petitioners argued that the amendment creates an absolute exemption for "personal information," removing the earlier "public interest override."

They contend this prevents marginalized communities from accessing critical records like muster rolls and beneficiary lists essential for securing welfare entitlements.  The plea seeks interim relief against the masking or deletion of existing data on transparency portals.

A Bench will now determine whether this law unconstitutionally prioritizes state-held privacy over democratic accountability.

[Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan & Ors. v. UOI & Ors.]