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

The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn its recent order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The September 21 notification had classified the department as an “Intelligence and Security Organisation” under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act. The move faced criticism from political parties, activists and transparency advocates.

The exemption could have restricted access to information concerning sensitive law-and-order matters, including police action, custodial deaths, police torture, protests and communal incidents. Following the criticism, the Tamil Nadu government announced on September 27 that the exemption had been revoked, restoring the earlier position on seeking such information under the RTI framework.