The Statesman: New Delhi: Sunday,
February 1, 2026.
The CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
CPI Rajya Sabha
MP P Sandosh Kumar on Saturday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, strongly
opposing the views expressed in the Economic Survey 2025–26 on the Right to
Information Act, 2005.
In the letter, Kumar highlighted that the RTI Act, enacted by the UPA government with support from the Left, marked a historic advance ininstitutionalising transparency and democratic accountability.
Asserting that the RTI Act was a conscious political choice to empower citizens, curb corruption, and subject the State to public scrutiny, the CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
“The position articulated in the Economic Survey, prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs representing the Government of India, implicitly portrays transparency as an impediment to governance. This framing is deeply flawed,” he said.
He further stated that the suggestion that the RTI Act requires “reexamination” to protect internal deliberations risks legitimising corruption and shielding wrongdoing under the guise of administrative efficiency.
He also alleged that the RTI framework has already been “systematically weakened” over the past decade of the BJP-led NDA rule.
“Amendments enacted in 2019 undermined the independence of Information Commissions by placing the tenure and service conditions of Information Commissioners at the discretion of the Central Government. Procedural changes to RTI rules have made information harder to access,” he said.
“At the same time, journalists, RTI activists, and whistleblowers continue to face intimidation and threats,with inadequate legal protection for those exposing corruption and irregularities.
“In this context, the approach adopted by the Economic Survey is not merely academic butpolitically consequential. Any further dilution of the RTI Act would be disastrous fordemocratic accountability and public trust,” he said.
Kumar urged the Prime Minister to reconsider this position and ensure that the relevant portions on RTI are removed from the Economic Survey.
“The Government must reaffirm, clearly and unambiguously, its commitment to transparency,accountability, and the citizen’s right to know,” he added.
The CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
In the letter, Kumar highlighted that the RTI Act, enacted by the UPA government with support from the Left, marked a historic advance ininstitutionalising transparency and democratic accountability.
Asserting that the RTI Act was a conscious political choice to empower citizens, curb corruption, and subject the State to public scrutiny, the CPI MP said that any attempt to dilute its spirit strikes at the core of constitutional governance.
“The position articulated in the Economic Survey, prepared by the Economic Division of the Department of Economic Affairs representing the Government of India, implicitly portrays transparency as an impediment to governance. This framing is deeply flawed,” he said.
He further stated that the suggestion that the RTI Act requires “reexamination” to protect internal deliberations risks legitimising corruption and shielding wrongdoing under the guise of administrative efficiency.
He also alleged that the RTI framework has already been “systematically weakened” over the past decade of the BJP-led NDA rule.
“Amendments enacted in 2019 undermined the independence of Information Commissions by placing the tenure and service conditions of Information Commissioners at the discretion of the Central Government. Procedural changes to RTI rules have made information harder to access,” he said.
“At the same time, journalists, RTI activists, and whistleblowers continue to face intimidation and threats,with inadequate legal protection for those exposing corruption and irregularities.
“In this context, the approach adopted by the Economic Survey is not merely academic butpolitically consequential. Any further dilution of the RTI Act would be disastrous fordemocratic accountability and public trust,” he said.
Kumar urged the Prime Minister to reconsider this position and ensure that the relevant portions on RTI are removed from the Economic Survey.
“The Government must reaffirm, clearly and unambiguously, its commitment to transparency,accountability, and the citizen’s right to know,” he added.
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