world ⚖️ SC asks Centre to reply on data protection law challenges
The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response regarding petitions challenging amendments to the RTI Act via the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant heard submissions from Vrinda Grover and Prashant Bhushan on Friday, August 7, 2026. The petitions argue that the changes weaken transparency by dropping the public interest safeguard for personal data disclosure. Specifically, they challenge the amendment to Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act concerning personal information exemptions. The Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, was asked to file the government's official reply.