Tamil Nadu government withdraws RTI waiver for law and order
In short
The Tamil Nadu government has taken back its order that would have kept the Public (Law and Order) department out of the RTI Act. The report says the move came after strong public backlash, and the order had called the department an Intelligence and Security Organisation.
This matters because it affects public access to information held by that department. It is still not stated whether any new order will replace the withdrawn one.
What the reporting says
The ruling TVK government withdrew its order exempting the Public (Law and Order) department from the RTI Act after widespread outrage. The withdrawn order had classified the department as an Intelligence and Security Organisation, which would have kept its records outside the RTI framework and limited access to information. The immediate consequence is that the waiver is rescinded, but the reporting does not state what happens next administratively.
Why it matters
The government’s reversal restores the Public (Law and Order) department to the RTI framework after criticism over the exemption. The earlier classification as an Intelligence and Security Organisation had been presented as a way to keep community-clash-related information out of public view. The reporting does not say whether a revised exemption or alternative order is being considered.