BCCI cannot be treated as a “Public
Authority” under the RTI Act: Central Information Commission
¨
Central Information
Commission (CIC) ruled on 18 May 2026 that the Board of Control for Cricket in
India is not a “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act,
2005.
¨
The decision was
delivered by Information Commissioner P. R. Ramesh while hearing an appeal.
¨
The appeal raised
questions regarding BCCI’s role in Indian team selection and representing India
in international cricket tournaments.
¨
The Right to Information
Act, 2005 aims to ensure transparency and accountability in public
institutions.
¨
The RTI Act applies only
to bodies classified as “public authorities.”
¨
Under Section 2(h) of the
RTI Act, a public authority is an institution established by the Constitution,
Parliament, state legislature, or a government notification.
¨
Institutions owned,
controlled, or substantially financed by the government may also fall within
the scope of the RTI Act.
¨
The CIC stated that the
Board of Control for Cricket in India is a private autonomous body registered
under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.
¨ According to the
Commission, BCCI was not established through the Constitution, Parliament,
state legislature, or government notification.
¨ The Commission further clarified that BCCI is neither owned nor controlled nor substantially funded by the government.
¨ Therefore, BCCI cannot be treated as a “public authority” under the RTI Act.
