Table of Contents
RTI in 2025-26 — what changed and what's next (2026)
The lead. RTI law and its administration have shifted significantly in 2025-26. The DPDP Act rewrote §8(1)(j). Information Commissions are running at 50% strength. Fee revision was proposed and deferred. This pillar tracks every change with its citizen impact.
The DPDP §44(3) shift
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, in §44(3), amended RTI §8(1)(j). The “unwarranted invasion” qualifier is gone. Public-interest carve-out remains but at a higher threshold. What citizens must do: frame requests for published / gazetted versions of personal information; pre-empt §8(1)(j) refusal in the application. Read full guide.
CIC vacancies crisis
- Bihar SIC: zero commissioners (paralysed since November 2025)
- UP SIC: 45,000+ pending second appeals, 8/11 commissioners filled
- CIC: 38,000 pending; 18-24 month wait
- Bright spots: Kerala SIC (9/11 filled, 6,000 pending, 9-15 month disposal); Tamil Nadu (full strength)
What citizens can do: rely on First Appeal more aggressively; file Article 226 writs for time-sensitive matters; cite Anjali Bhardwaj v. UoI 2019 which mandates 90-day vacancy filling.
Full breakdown: SIC vacancies 2026.
Fee revision deferred
DoPT proposed Rs 50 application fee in 2024 (OM 1/2/2024-IR). Deferred after parliamentary backlash. As of April 2026, ₹10 still applies centrally. State fees vary — see state directory.
Full debate: Fee rationalisation 2026.
Top SC rulings (last 12 months)
- CPIO SC v. SCA — re-affirmed (collegium notes post-decisional, three-step test)
- §8(1)(j) DPDP overlap clarified (public-interest threshold raised, not eliminated)
- CIC vacancies must be filled in 90 days (PIL direction 2025)
- §24 strict construction (human-rights proviso preserved)
- Personal costs against PIOs upheld
Full digest: SC RTI 2025-26.
Why rejections rose 30% in 2025
CIC Annual Report 2024-25 shows rejection rate 4.4% (vs 3.3% in FY23). Top grounds:
- §8(1)(j) personal information — 38% (post-DPDP spike)
- §8(1)(d) commercial confidence — 16%
- §8(1)(h) investigation — 12%
Read why and what to do.
Electoral Bonds aftermath
ADR v. UoI (Feb 2024) struck down Electoral Bonds. New RTI handles for election-funding transparency emerged. ECI publishes EB data; income-tax dept now subject to scrutiny. See aftermath guide.
2026 RTI success stories
8 cases where citizen RTIs changed systems — MGNREGA wage arrears, PMAY ghost beneficiaries, school fee hikes, mining royalty recovery. Read all 8.
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