Home Security India-China Border Row: MoD Denies Info, Ignites Right-to-Know Debate

India-China Border Row: MoD Denies Info, Ignites Right-to-Know Debate

India-China border dispute: MoD denies RTI information on Chinese occupation, citing security, while MEA claims no records. Do citizens not have the right to know how much of India’s territory has been lost?

By Aryan Saini
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India-China border dispute

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India-China Border Dispute: MoD Refuses Data Under RTI Exemption

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has rejected an RTI query from Bengaluru-based lawyer Ajay Kumar seeking year-wise data on Chinese occupation of Indian territory, citing security exemptions under the RTI Act, 2005. 

The MoD’s reply cites Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, 2005, which exempts information that could prejudicially affect India’s sovereignty, integrity, or security. This follows an earlier vague response from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in February 2025, which claimed it lacked precise records on the same issue, pointing instead to static Lok Sabha replies from 2020 and 2022.

MoD reply on India-China data
MoD’s March 2025 RTI reply denying data on Chinese occupation, citing security | Courtesy: Ajay Kumar

Kumar’s RTI, filed with both ministries, sought a detailed timeline of Chinese control over Indian land from the 1962 Sino-Indian War to the present, covering nine key dates tied to historic and recent flashpoints along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). While the MEA sidestepped the query by claiming no further data existed, the MoD’s outright rejection under a security exemption has intensified scrutiny over the government’s handling of this critical national issue. The conflicting responses