Tamil Nadu government exempts Public (Law and Order) Department from RTI Act

The Tamil Nadu government has issued a significant order, exempting its Public (Law and Order) Department from the purview of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This move means that specific categories of information, deemed sensitive by the government, will no longer be accessible to the public under the transparency legislation.

The exemption order covers a broad range of subjects that are central to public safety and governance. Among the key areas now excluded from the RTI Act's ambit are details concerning communal and caste clashes, which are often subjects of intense public scrutiny. Additionally, information related to all matters concerning detentions under the National Security Act (NSA) will also be withheld.

Furthermore, the government order specifies that reports investigating deaths in police custody will be exempt from RTI requests. Agitations carried out by students and farmers, which frequently involve law and order interventions, are also included in the exemption. This decision by the Tamil Nadu government effectively limits the public's ability to seek information on these critical issues, raising questions about transparency in public administration.

What to watch: Public and legal reactions to the Tamil Nadu government's RTI exemption.

Editor's note: The article accurately summarizes the government order and the specific categories of information exempted from the RTI Act as provided in the source.

This article is AI-generated and fact-gated. Original reporting: The Hindu