‘Act was never intended as a tool for idle curiosity’: Economic Survey calls for re-examination of RTI Act

['Nikhil Ghanekar', 'An Award-Winning Journalist With Years Of Experience', 'Nikhil Ghanekar Is An Assistant Editor With The National Bureau', 'Government', 'Of The Indian Express In New Delhi. He Primarily Covers Environmental Policy Matters Which Involve Tracking Key Decisions', 'Inner Workings Of The Ministry Of Environment', 'Forest', 'Climate Change. He Also Covers The Functioning Of The National Green Tribunal', 'Writes On The Impact Of Environmental Policies On Wildlife Conservation', 'Forestry Issues'] The Indian Express 2026-01-30 11:05:39

It said that the Act was never intended “as a tool for idle curiosity”, nor as a mechanism to micromanage government from the outside. Moreover, 70% of the requests made under the law are on information that should be in the public domain. 2023, had already diluted the RTI Act, allowing a wide ambit of denial, turning it into a “Right to Deny” Act, “The survey’s observations are flawed. Can they point out how governance has been hurt due to the RTI Act. In a democracy, government decisions ought to be debated and the RTI Act empowers people to access government decisions,” he said.