BCCI Not a Public Authority Under RTI Act: CIC Ruling

Why in news?

The Central Information Commission (CIC) ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a 'public authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.

Key points

1. 1The ruling means that the BCCI is not obligated to provide information under the RTI Act.
2. 2The CIC based its decision on the fact that the BCCI is not owned, controlled, or substantially financed by the government.
3. 3The BCCI is a private autonomous body registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act.
4. 4This decision impacts transparency and accountability mechanisms for the cricket board.

Background & context

The RTI Act, 2005, grants citizens the right to access information from public authorities. Public authorities are defined under Section 2(h) of the Act, encompassing bodies established by the Constitution, Parliament, State legislature, or government notification, or those owned, controlled, or substantially financed by the government.