Times of India: Mumbai: Tuesday, June
23, 2026.
A
week after introducing it, the Maharashtra govt has withdrawn a controversial
provision in its newly notified Right to Information (RTI) Rules that required
citizens to state the purpose of seeking information.
A notification issued by the general administration department on June 19 stated that govt had amended RTI Rules, 2026, notified on June 12, and replaced the application format prescribed. The revised format removes the requirement that applicants disclose the purpose for which information is being sought.
The rollback came amid criticism from transparency activists, civil society groups and legal experts, who argued that the provision was inconsistent with the spirit of RTI Act, 2005. Section 6(2) of the Act states that an applicant “shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information”.
RTI activist Anil Galgali called for an inquiry by the state’s principal secretary into the circumstances under which the provision was introduced and subsequently withdrawn. “If making disclosure of purpose mandatory was legally justified, why was it withdrawn within a week? And if it was legally untenable, why was it incorporated in the original notification at all?” he said.
Many other contentious provisions, however, remain unchanged. Applicants still need to provide proof of identity, limit the “subject matter of information” section to 150 words, and submit a fee of Rs 50 and Rs 100 for first and second appeals, respectively, up from Rs 20. There are also restrictions on legal representation.
Transparency campaigners argued that these provisions may create additional procedural hurdles for citizens seeking information from public authorities. They urged govt to undertake a broader review of the rules to ensure they remain aligned with RTI Act’s objective of promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
A notification issued by the general administration department on June 19 stated that govt had amended RTI Rules, 2026, notified on June 12, and replaced the application format prescribed. The revised format removes the requirement that applicants disclose the purpose for which information is being sought.
The rollback came amid criticism from transparency activists, civil society groups and legal experts, who argued that the provision was inconsistent with the spirit of RTI Act, 2005. Section 6(2) of the Act states that an applicant “shall not be required to give any reason for requesting the information”.
RTI activist Anil Galgali called for an inquiry by the state’s principal secretary into the circumstances under which the provision was introduced and subsequently withdrawn. “If making disclosure of purpose mandatory was legally justified, why was it withdrawn within a week? And if it was legally untenable, why was it incorporated in the original notification at all?” he said.
Many other contentious provisions, however, remain unchanged. Applicants still need to provide proof of identity, limit the “subject matter of information” section to 150 words, and submit a fee of Rs 50 and Rs 100 for first and second appeals, respectively, up from Rs 20. There are also restrictions on legal representation.
Transparency campaigners argued that these provisions may create additional procedural hurdles for citizens seeking information from public authorities. They urged govt to undertake a broader review of the rules to ensure they remain aligned with RTI Act’s objective of promoting transparency and accountability in governance.
.JPG)
.JPG)
