Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that personal details that are subject to disclosure under various laws will continue to be disclosed under the RTI Act after the implementation of the new data protection rule. Replying to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on a social media platform, Mr Vaishnaw said, this amendment will not restrict the disclosure of personal information, rather it aims to strengthen the privacy rights of the individuals and prevent the potential misuse of the law.

The Minister’s reply came after Mr Ramesh urged the government to pause, review and repeal Section 44 (3) of the Data Protection Act claiming otherwise it will eliminate the provisio in Section 8 (1) of the Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005, which gives citizens equal right to information.