What changed in the RTI Act — citizen-friendly read of 2025-26
Quick Reply: Plain-language summary of every RTI Act amendment and notification effective 2025-26 — DPDP overlap, fee revision debate, CIC vacancies, what to file differently.
The RTI Act 2005 has had two significant statutory shifts since 2023, plus a flurry of administrative circulars. Here is the citizen view.
The DPDP Act 2023 §44(3) — the §8(1)(j) rewrite
The DPDP Act 2023, in §44(3), amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act. Before: personal information could be disclosed if there was an overriding public interest. After: the public-interest carve-out is gone for “personal information” of natural persons. PIOs began rejecting wider categories — service records, beneficiary names, complaint outcomes — citing the new test.
What this means for you: if you can show the information is already in the public domain (gazette, parliament floor, court record, prior CIC order), §44(3) does not apply. Frame your RTI to seek the gazetted/published version, not the personal data.
Fee rationalisation debate
DoPT issued an Office Memorandum (OM 1/2/2024-IR) proposing Rs. 50 application fee (up from Rs. 10) and Rs. 20/page (up from Rs. 2). After parliamentary objections it was deferred. As of April 2026, Rs. 10 application fee + Rs. 2/page remains the central rule. State rules vary.
CIC and SIC vacancies
The Information Commissions are running with 40-50% vacancies in 2026. Backlogs at CIC are 24-30 months for second appeals. State commissions worse. Practical impact: rely on First Appeal (FAA) and parallel writ remedies (Article 226) for time-sensitive matters.
The §24 schedule expansion threat
A 2024 NSCS proposal to add 3 more agencies to the §24 exempt schedule was withdrawn in February 2025. As of April 2026, the original 22-agency schedule (RAW, IB, etc.) stands.
What to file differently now
- Quote DPDP §44(3) defensively — pre-empt the §8(1)(j) refusal by framing for public-domain facts only.
- Use FAA aggressively — CIC backlog means FAA is your real escalation.
- Bundle CPGRAMS + RTI — parallel pressure where time matters.
- Cite §4(1) suo motu duty — most PA websites are non-compliant; this is leverage.
The Act's spirit holds; its administration has fragmented. Citizens who know the 2025-26 changes file better.
Sources
- DPDP Act 2023 §44(3).
- DoPT OM 1/2/2024-IR on fee proposal.
- CIC Annual Report 2024-25.
Last reviewed: 25 April 2026.
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