CIC Rules: BCCI Not a Public Authority Under RTI Act

The Central Information Commission has ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a public authority under the Right to Information Act. This means BCCI is not required to divulge information under the RTI Act, as it is not government-owned or substantially financed.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) declared on Monday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a 'public authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Overturning its own 2018 decision, the CIC clarified that the BCCI is not liable to respond to queries under the transparency law.

Information Commissioner P R Ramesh emphasized that despite the BCCI's significant role in cricket administration and international representation, it is neither government-owned, controlled, nor substantially funded. Therefore, it cannot be classified as a public authority as defined by Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.

The 2018 order had mandated BCCI to appoint officers under the RTI law. However, the Madras High Court remitted the matter back, urging a re-evaluation considering the Supreme Court's observations in the BCCI vs Cricket Association of Bihar case. The CIC noted that BCCI, an autonomous entity, finances itself through commercial activities, underscoring its independence from government control.