Which one of the following is not correct pertaining to the exemption from disclosure of information?
[amp_mcq option1=āInformation which does not affect the sovereignty and integrity of Indiaā option2=āInformation which has been expressly forbidden to be published by the court of law or tribunalā option3=āInformation which would cause a breach of privilege of the Parliament or the State Legislatureā option4=āInformation which received in confidence from a foreign governmentā correct=āoption1ā³]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Combined Section Officer ā 2019-20
The question asks which statement is *not correct pertaining to the exemption* from disclosure. Statements B, C, and D list specific categories of information that are explicitly exempt from disclosure under Section 8 of the RTI Act, 2005. Statement A describes āInformation which does not affect the sovereignty and integrity of Indiaā. Information that *does not* affect sovereignty and integrity is generally *not* exempt (unless another exemption applies). Therefore, describing this type of information as an exemption, or implying it is one, is incorrect. Statement A is the one that does not correctly describe an exemption.
Section 8 of the RTI Act lists various categories of information that are exempt from mandatory public disclosure. These exemptions are based on potential harm that disclosure might cause (e.g., to national security, foreign relations, legal proceedings, privileges of legislature, commercial confidence, etc.). Information that does *not* fall under these categories must generally be disclosed.