Is India’s RTI Under Threat? DPDP Act 2023 Explained

By Gunjan Handa

November 22, 2025

India’s new Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP 2023), is reshaping the landscape of transparency and accountability—especially when it comes to the Right to Information (RTI). While the law promises stronger privacy protections, it also gives government offices sweeping power to reject RTI requests by simply categorising information as “personal data.” This shift could make it even harder for activists and journalists to expose corruption, investigate misuse of public funds, or track the implementation of welfare schemes.

In this episode, Gunjan Handa speaks with RTI activist Amrita Johri to unpack what the DPDP Act truly means for citizens, democracy, and the future of transparency in India. Together, they explore how privacy—meant to empower citizens—could instead become a tool for government secrecy, and why this raises serious concerns about holding those in power accountable.

Watch to understand the risks, loopholes, and realities of India’s first full-fledged data protection law—and what it could cost our democracy.