RTI Restrictions ?

A truly democratic government will never maintain secrecy in its public policy

RTI plays an important role in the emergence of liberal democracy. But recent incidents like PM cares fund not under RTI, Assam Peace Accord high-level committee report curtailed RTI for the reason it could alter its function. Many Apex Court judgments favor RTI overriding government screen of secrecy.

In state of UP vs Raj Narain case Supreme Court ruled that Right to Information is derived from article 19 of the Constitution freedom of speech. Executive are elected by the people and acted for the people. So so no secrecy must be maintained in public policy as it alienate government from people.

In SP Gupta versus President of India 1981 case it was told that there are already many restrictions for the people of India like secrecy from committee documents, strategic meetings and so on.

In Yashwant Sinha vs CBI 2019, Court also mentioned about judgement of New York Times Pentagon papers supporting right to know of the people.

From the above evidences it is clear that, right to know has a very wider sense of interpretation it can only be curtailed in limited circumstances and if there is an overriding public interest.