CIC says BCCI is not covered under the RTI Act

CIC reverses 2018 order on BCCI

New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does not come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

In 2018, the CIC had treated the BCCI as a public authority and directed its then president and secretary to appoint RTI officers. It had also asked the board to create procedures to receive and respond to applications both online and offline.

The BCCI challenged that direction before the Madras High Court. The High Court later asked the CIC to re-examine the matter and pass fresh orders.

After reconsideration, the CIC has now set aside its 2018 order and reiterated that the BCCI is not covered under the RTI Act. It said assuming that government oversight would improve the BCCI’s functioning is not appropriate, and that government control could affect the board’s balanced financial structure.

The CIC also noted that the reforms suggested by the Justice Lodha Committee, appointed by the Supreme Court to improve transparency in sports administration, are advisory in nature and cannot override the legal requirements under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.