DPDP Insights › Questions › How does the RTI amendment change replies about personal inf

Question · Central government: ministries and departments

How does the RTI amendment change replies about personal information?

Short answer: Personal information is exempt; give reasoned orders

DPDP Section 44(3), in force from 13 November 2025, amended RTI Section 8(1)(j). Personal information is now exempt from disclosure without the earlier public-interest test. The amendment is under challenge in the Supreme Court, so CPIOs should apply it carefully and keep reasoned orders.

What the law says

RTI Act Section 8(1)(j) as amended by DPDP Section 44(3).

Section 7: Some uses need no consent: data a person gave voluntarily for a specified purpose, duties under law, medical emergencies involving a threat to life, health services during an epidemic, safety during a disaster, and purposes of employment.

Steps

Brief all CPIOs on the new wording.
Separate personal from non-personal parts of records.
Give the non-personal parts.
Record reasons for each exemption.
Watch for the Supreme Court's decision.

Evidence to keep

CPIO briefing
Reasoned orders

Common mistakes

Refusing whole files when only parts are personal
No reasons in the order
Ignoring pending litigation

From each seat

Legal cell: Brief CPIOs and track the litigation.
Office head / Section officer: Inward sections pass RTI files to CPIOs quickly.
Legal department: Review sample orders.

What a good answer from management sounds like

“CPIOs apply the amended wording with reasoned orders and give non-personal parts.” Effort and time: Light.