Tamil Nadu’s government issues an order exempting the Public (Law and Order) Department from the Right to Information (RTI) Act, and later withdraws that exemption. The initial exemption is made under Section 24(4) of the RTI Act, treating the department as an intelligence and security organisation and removing it from RTI coverage.
Reporting from The Hindu says the exemption covers sensitive areas, including matters involving communal and caste clashes, information connected to detentions under the National Security Act (NSA), inquiry reports into deaths in police custody, and issues such as student and farmer agitation. The Free Press Journal adds that a notification in the Government Gazette follows the decision, and specifies that Government Order Ms. No. 57 (Human Resources Management (R)) dated 21 September 2026 is later revoked.
Across outlets, opposition criticism is described as the key driver for the rollback. Free Press Journal cites demands from opposition parties to reverse the move, with criticism framed around democratic accountability and concerns about creating a “police state.” Times of India coverage focuses on what the exemption means, while not providing additional factual detail in the supplied text.
