Central Information Commission

A total of 22,956 second appeals and complaints were pending in the Central Information Commission (CIC) as on November 29, the government informed Parliament on Thursday. The total number of second appeals and complaints filed in the CIC during the period from 2021-22 to 2023-24 was 59,069, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. "As on 29.11.2024, total number of second appeals and complaints pending in CIC is 22,596," he said. Further, a total of 36,787 second appeals and complaints were returned by the CIC during the period from 2022 to 2024, the minister added. To a question on the number of vacancies in the transparency watchdog, Singh said "at present, the CIC comprises of Chief Information Commissioner and two Information Commissioners". According to section 12(2) of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, the CIC shall consist of the chief information commissioner and such number of central informati

The government has received 161 applications for eight vacant positions of Information Commissioners at the Central Information Commission with applicants from varied backgrounds including a sitting Delhi High Court Judge expressing interest in the job, according to a DoPT list. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has given the list of 161 applicants in response to an RTI query filed by Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd). The list contains names of Justice Anoop Kumar Mendiratta of Delhi High Court, Special Commissioner Delhi Police Rajender Pal Upadhyay, serving and retired officers from armed forces -- Lt Gen Jaiveer Singh Negi, Group Captain Praveen Shukla, Capt (IN) Abhay Kumar Paluskar, Lt Gen Paramjit Singh Minhas, Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Mago, Lt Gen Harsha Gupta, Lt Gen PR Venkatesh, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh Salaria among others. Journalist GK Suresh Babu associated with Janam TV from Thiruvananthapuram, retired Professor of Political Science from Mysore University Muzaffar ...

The Central Information Commission has powers to constitute benches and frame regulations, the Supreme Court has said while observing that the autonomy of CIC is of paramount importance for its effective functioning. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma last Wednesday said the autonomy and independence of administrative bodies are fundamental to their ability to perform their designated functions effectively. "The Chief Information Commissioner's powers to frame regulations pertaining to the constitution of benches of the commission are upheld as such powers are within the ambit of Section 12(4) of the RTI Act," the bench said. The top court said institutions like the Central Information Commission (CIC) are established to carry out specialised tasks that require a level of impartiality and expertise that can only be achieved if they are free from undue interference. "While the RTI Act does not explicitly grant CIC the authority to frame regulations, the

The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities

An order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) cannot be used to seek a writ from the Supreme Court to bring recognised political parties under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Centre told the apex court on Tuesday. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta made the submission while appearing for the central government before a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, which is hearing two PILs seeking a direction to bring political parties under the transparency law. The CIC order cannot be used to seek a writ of mandamus (a judicial order to the government to fulfil official duties) to bring political parties under the RTI, the law officer told the bench, which also comprised Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), represented by lawyer P V Dinesh, said the party has no objection to RTI with regard to ensuring financial transparency. But there cannot be requests (under RTI) on why a candidate has been selecte

The Gujarat High Court on Friday set aside the seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission (CIC), asking the Gujarat University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Allowing the Gujarat University's appeal against the CIC order, Justice Biren Vaishnav also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Kejriwal and asked him to deposit the amount within four weeks to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority (GSLSA). Justice Vaishnav also refused to stay his order as requested by Kejriwal's lawyer Percy Kavina. In April 2016, the then CIC M Sridhar Acharyulu had directed the Delhi University and the Gujarat University to provide information to Kejriwal on the degrees that Modi received. Three months later, the Gujarat High Court stayed the CIC order after the varsity approached it against that order. The CIC order came a day after Kejriwal wrote to Acharyulu, saying he has no objection to government records about

Former West Bengal DGP Virendra was on Wednesday appointed as the State Information Commissioner(SIC), state Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said. The meeting to select the new SIC was held at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's chamber at the state assembly. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP skipped the meeting citing violation of the "advertising guidelines for inviting applications". Banerjee chaired the meeting. "There were 15 applications for the post of which 10 were found valid. The CM proposed Virendra's name and we supported it. Virendra has been appointed as the new state information commissioner," Chattopadhyay said after the meeting. Later speaking to reporters on the appointment of Virendra as the new State Information Commissioner, Adhikari said, "The meeting is illegal, it has met twice before. The Governor did not sign. I hope the Governor will not sign the appointment of Information Commissioner this time as well. All India level

A total of 22,238 complaints and second appeals were pending with the Central Information Commission (CIC) as on December 15, 2022, Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. In reply to a written question, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said 20,756 complaints and second appeals filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act were disposed of during 2022-23 up to December 15. The CIC had registered 13,472 such cases during the period, he said. "The CIC is making efforts to expedite disposal of the pending cases by making use of technology tools for efficient hearing of cases. This has reduced the pendency significantly," the minister said. Singh said the information of registered, disposed and pending cases in respect to State Information Commissions (SICs) is maintained by the state governments. "The CIC facilitates information seekers by providing hybrid mode of hearing i.e. physical as well as virtual. As far as the State Information Commissions are concerned, i

The Centre has sought applications from eligible candidates to fill posts Information Commissioners in the Central Information Commission (CIC). Transparency watchdog CIC is headed by the Central Information Commissioner and can have a maximum of 10 Information Commissioners. Persons who have attained the age of 65 years shall not be eligible for appointment, an order issued by the Union Personnel Ministry said. "It is proposed to appoint Information Commissioners, not exceeding six, as may be deemed necessary in the Central Information Commission," it said. The Right to Information (RTI) Act provides that the Information Commissioner shall be a person of eminence in public life with wide knowledge and experience in law, science and technology, social service, management, journalism, mass-media or administration and governance. Persons fulfilling the criteria and interested for appointment to the post of Information Commissioner may send their particulars in a prescribed proforma

Since FY17, the budget allocation for information commissions has shrunk by 82.7% from Rs 31.9 crore

The Central Information Commission has directed the Prime Minister's Office to "revisit" its refusal to disclose under the RTI a 14-year old report by a Group of Ministers led by former External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on pay and pension of armed forces personnel on grounds that it was "highly sensitive". The directive came after the RTI applicant told the panel that substantial portions of the report that were termed "highly sensitive" and "prejudicially affecting the sovereignty and integrity of India" by the PMO, have already been declassified and disclosed by the Defence Ministry. Through his RTI application dated January 31, 2021, S Y Savur had sought the copy of the report submitted by Mukherjee on December 19, 2008 for then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's approval and copy of the approval along with file notes, office memorandum along with all relevant information that "preceded" the approval. The PMO had refused to disclose the report and other documents, calling t

Commodore Lokesh Batra (retd) had filed an RTI with the ISP to provide details of total cost of printing the electoral bonds introduced by the government to ensure transparency in political donations

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a challenge to the Central Information Commission's order dismissing an RTI appeal seeking the agenda of the Supreme Court collegium's meeting on December 1

Justice Navin Chawla said the information sought by the RTI applicant with regard to details of the ministry or department officials who accompanied the PM on a trip cannot be disclosed

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Under normal circumstances, RTI applicants would appeal for information and the process would be prolonged

In response to separate query, the minister said that the Central Information Commission has been functional even after the declaration of lockdown in March, 2020

Not only this, the chief information commissioner informed the minister that the Commission had also effectively continued its interactive and outreach activities, the statement said

The CIC has also received funds under a separate head of 'CIC and PESB' with an increase of 6.95% from the last budget