Exempted Information under RTI

If your application requests the following kinds of information, the public authority can lawfully refuse to give you:

• Information that affects the security and economic interests of the government with another country
• Information that is banned from being published by any court or tribunal
• Information that would result in a breach of privilege of the Legislature
• Information that would harm commercial interests
• Information that arises because of a relationship based on trust
• Information from a foreign government which was given as a secret
• Information that exposes whistleblowers or endangers lives
• Information that would cause difficulty to police investigation or arrests in criminal cases
• Records of the Cabinet Ministers (reasons and materials can be made public after the decision is made)
• Personal information (however, such information has to be revealed to the Parliament or State Legislature if asked for)

If the release of the information causes copyright infringement, the PIO can refuse the request for information. Furthermore, the exemption does not apply if the information requested is more than 20 years old. In such a case, it must be given to the applicant. However, information relating to security and economic interests with another country, breach of parliamentary privilege and Cabinet proceedings can be denied even if it is more than 20 years old.