Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Thursday, 29 May 2025

RTI Act

 Civil Society seeks Rollback of DPDP changes to RTI Act

Extract from the article:
The article outlines current civil society concerns regarding recent amendments introduced under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) framework and their consequential impact on the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Civil society organizations are vociferously advocating for a rollback of these changes, which they fear could dilute the effectiveness of the RTI Act—a cornerstone legislation that safeguards transparency and accountability in governance. The alterations threaten to introduce opaque data privacy standards that inadvertently obstruct public access to crucial information, undermining democratic oversight.

Moreover, the piece highlights how these amendments might curtail citizens’ rights by imposing onerous conditions or ambiguous clauses that hinder information disclosures under RTI requests. Activists and legal experts argue that while data protection is essential, it should not come at the cost of transparency. They call upon lawmakers and regulatory bodies to revisit these provisions to ensure a delicate balance between protecting personal data and preserving public access to government-held information—integral to upholding the very fabric of participatory democracy.

My Take:

A. What Got Achieved?
Reflecting on my earlier analysis about governmental accountability and transparency, I had stressed that political manifestos must not only promise but also clearly communicate tangible achievements with precise metrics and investment rationales. The current calls to safeguard the RTI Act resonate strongly with my previous contention that opaque processes and lack of clear reports hamper trust and democratic engagement. In that 2019 blog, I pondered how without transparent disclosures, citizens are left in the dark about progress—rendering oversight mechanisms feeble.

This issue runs parallel with the challenges posed by the DPDP Act changes. If data protection reforms obscure official disclosures or complicate information retrieval, then the very purpose of democratic accountability is imperiled. Hence, reinforcing transparency, as I advocated years ago, is not merely a bureaucratic exercise but a democratically vital imperative—as relevant today as ever.

B. Structural Reforms
Years back, I envisioned the transformative potential of embedding responsible reforms that marry citizen participation with technology-enabled transparency. My proposal included online opinion polls and publishing quarterly performance reviews of government targets versus actual achievements to foster accountability directly through public engagement. The current uproar over DPDP’s amendments reaffirms the criticality of such frameworks—a reminder that reforms must be participatory and robust rather than restrictive or convoluted.

The backlash from civil society spotlights a vital lesson I advocated: technological or legislative reforms should not become smokescreens that constrict citizen empowerment but rather be catalytic for openness and inclusion. Balancing data privacy with unimpeded access to information demands an iterative dialogue between policymakers and the populace, a process I emphasized as essential structural reform.

C. Digital Provident Fund: Unparalleled Opportunity
In an earlier proposal for a Digital Provident Fund that would democratize financial benefits and channel funds into productive infrastructure projects, the underlying principle was to harness digital innovation for citizen benefit and transparency. The current situation—where digital data privacy laws risk curtailing transparency—illuminates the double-edged nature of digital legislation. My concept envisioned empowerment through digital tools, enabling citizens to track, benefit, and engage with governance outcomes clearly.

The lesson here is that digital policy frameworks need to rigorously prioritize openness alongside protection—ensuring that data safeguards do not become barriers to accountability. Revisiting my earlier vision for digitally enabled governance reminds us that technological progress, policy reforms, and citizen rights must harmonize seamlessly.

Call to Action:
To the policymakers spearheading the DPDP amendments and the custodians of the RTI framework: I urge you to pause and re-examine these changes through the prism of democratic transparency. Engage meaningfully with civil society and data rights experts to recalibrate the laws so that they protect individuals’ data without erecting labyrinthine barriers to information access. Uphold the inviolable balance between privacy and openness—ensuring that the Right to Information remains an unassailable pillar of our democracy.

A legislative rollback or meaningful revision to align DPDP with RTI objectives is not just advisable; it is imperative. The health of our democracy depends upon it.

With regards, 

Hemen Parekh

www.My-Teacher.in

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