📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Michael Gäbler
Politics
Tamil Nadu Government Withdraws Order Shielding Law & Order Department from RTI
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 28 Sep 2026, 11:33 AM
👁 12
The state cabinet has annulled the earlier order that exempted the Law and Order Department from the Right to Information Act, restoring its accountability under the law.
The Tamil Nadu administration has officially revoked the order that had previously exempted the Law and Order Department from the provisions of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The decision was announced by the state cabinet and is now recorded in the official gazette.
The original exemption, issued last year, had drawn sharp criticism from transparency activists and opposition parties, who argued that it undermined public scrutiny of policing and internal security matters. Legal experts highlighted that the RTI Act applies to all government bodies unless a specific statutory provision states otherwise.
By withdrawing the exemption, the Law and Order Department will once again be subject to RTI queries, allowing citizens and NGOs to seek information on matters such as deployment, disciplinary actions and internal investigations. Government officials said the move reaffirms the state's commitment to openness and accountability.
Civil‑society groups welcomed the reversal, calling it a step toward greater transparency in law‑enforcement affairs. The department is expected to set up a designated RTI officer within the next fortnight to handle incoming requests.
The original exemption, issued last year, had drawn sharp criticism from transparency activists and opposition parties, who argued that it undermined public scrutiny of policing and internal security matters. Legal experts highlighted that the RTI Act applies to all government bodies unless a specific statutory provision states otherwise.
By withdrawing the exemption, the Law and Order Department will once again be subject to RTI queries, allowing citizens and NGOs to seek information on matters such as deployment, disciplinary actions and internal investigations. Government officials said the move reaffirms the state's commitment to openness and accountability.
Civil‑society groups welcomed the reversal, calling it a step toward greater transparency in law‑enforcement affairs. The department is expected to set up a designated RTI officer within the next fortnight to handle incoming requests.