Tamil Nadu Withdraws RTI Exemption for Law and Order Dept After Backlash

CHENNAI — The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn a government order that had exempted the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information Act after a wave of criticism from opposition parties and civil‑society groups. The order, issued earlier this year, was seen as a step back from the state’s commitment to transparency and was revoked on 27 September 2026.

Government retracts RTI exemption after public outcry

The order, dated 15 August 2026, was issued by the Home Department and announced that the Public (Law and Order) Department would be exempt from the provisions of the RTI Act, 2005. The exemption was justified on the basis of “security and operational sensitivity” and was intended to protect law‑enforcement information that could compromise ongoing investigations.

Opposition parties, including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Tamil Nadu, immediately condemned the move. They argued that the exemption violated the spirit of the RTI Act, which requires all government bodies to be open to public scrutiny unless a statutory exemption applies. Civil‑society organisations such as the Tamil Nadu RTI Forum and the Centre for Public Affairs also issued statements demanding the repeal of the order.

In a statement released by the Department of Information and Public Relations, officials said the order had been issued in error and that the government had not intended to create a blanket exemption for the department. The statement added that the department would continue to be subject to the RTI Act and that any information that could compromise public safety would be handled under the existing statutory exemptions.

The withdrawal came after a series of public hearings and a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu High Court on 20 September 2026. The petition, filed by a coalition of RTI activists, claimed that the order was inconsistent with the provisions of the RTI Act and that it contravened the principle of “information is a public good.” The court’s order, issued on 24 September, directed the state to revoke the exemption and to ensure that the department complied with the Act.

Following the court’s directive, the state government issued a new government order on 27 September that repealed the earlier exemption. The new order confirms that the Public (Law and Order) Department will remain a subject of the RTI Act, with the usual statutory exemptions for matters related to national security, public safety and personal privacy.

Political analysts say the reversal is a response to mounting pressure from both the opposition and the public. The move is expected to restore confidence in the state’s transparency mechanisms and to align Tamil Nadu’s practices with the national framework of the RTI Act.

The RTI Act, enacted in 2005, allows citizens to request information from any public authority, subject to a limited set of exemptions. The law has been a cornerstone of India’s democratic accountability, and state governments are required to comply with its provisions unless a specific exemption is provided by statute.

In the wake of the withdrawal, the Home Department has announced a review of its information‑handling protocols to ensure compliance with the Act. The department also stated that it would cooperate with the Information Commission to address any pending RTI requests.