Niti Aayog Refuses to Disclose RSS NGO Status

Quick Summary

• The NITI Aayog has declined to provide details on the functioning of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as an NGO in response to an RTI filed by P.P. Kapoor, an RTI activist from Panipat.
• The information was deemed “personal” and “third-party” and withheld under Section 8(J) of the RTI Act, 2005.
• Kapoor’s submission sought: registration certificate, aims and objectives, audit reports, balance sheets, income-expenditure records of RSS from relevant authorities.
• NITI Aayog Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Deepak Nailwal, stated that certain requested data was unavailable or accessible via the Darpan portal for office-bearers.
• Kapoor alleged purposeful concealment of RSS-related details and questioned its legal standing as a non-government organisation.

indian opinion Analysis

The denial of specific details about the status and functioning of RSS raises broader questions about transparency regarding influential organisations operating publicly. While citing privacy provisions under Section 8(J) is legally valid for third-party information not directly impacting public interest, this ambiguity may fuel public perception issues concerning accountability. Moreover, mr. Modi describing RSS as an NGO increases scrutiny over its formal legitimacy or adherence to regulations governing such entities in India.

For democratic institutions like India’s Right to Information mechanism to maintain trustworthiness among citizens, consistent clarity on organisational frameworks-especially those referenced by leaders-remains critical. This situation reflects ongoing tensions between transparency demands versus constraints imposed by privacy laws.

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