Tamil Nadu Rescinds RTI Exemption for Public (Law and Order) Department: Section 24 and the Limits of the ‘Intelligence and Security’ Carve-Out

On 27 September 2026, the Tamil Nadu government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay (TVK) revoked G.O. Ms. No. 57, Human Resources Management (R) Department, dated 21 September 2026, which had specified the State's Public (Law and Order) Department as an “intelligence and security organisation” under Section 24(4) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 — placing the entire department outside the Act. Law Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar announced the withdrawal within hours of the Gazette-notified order surfacing, after objections from CPI(M) MP Su Venkatesan, VCK chief Thol. Thirumavalavan, AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran, the anti-corruption movement Arappor Iyakkam and environmental group Poovulagin Nanbargal.