RTI Act

The Karnataka Information Commission has designated Kalaburagi-Yadgir DCC Bank as a 'public authority' under the RTI Act. The commission ordered the bank to appoint Public Information Officers and adhere to mandatory disclosure requirements.

The Supreme Court has stayed a Delhi High Court order that declared the National Stock Exchange of India (NSEI) a 'public authority' under the RTI Act. The High Court had ruled that entities owned, controlled, or substantially financed by the government qualify as public authorities.

The PM CARES Fund, chaired by the Prime Minister with Union Ministers as trustees, has not made its audited financial statements public since FY 2022-23. Donations to the fund qualify for 100% tax deduction under the I-T Act and count as CSR expenditure under the Companies Act, but activists claim it remains outside the RTI Act, parliamentary scrutiny, and audit by the CAG.

The T.N. BJP has demanded the TVK government release a White Paper on TASMAC shops, citing doubts raised by an RTI Act response regarding the closure of 717 such shops.

Government officials in Kakinada district violating the RTI Act will face show-cause notices. The notices are issued in response to the violations.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) ordered Southern Railway to disclose details of 83,000 trees planted in the Madurai Division. The Information Commissioner stated that a blanket denial of information violates the RTI Act.

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha leader John Brittas advocates for bringing the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust under the RTI Act, arguing it was formed through government action and should be subject to transparency provisions.

The Andhra Pradesh Information Commission dismissed 160 RTI cases and reprimanded Naidu Nagarjuna Reddy for filing thousands of applications and over 400 second appeals, misusing the RTI Act as a litigation tool instead of for transparency.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) ordered the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to disclose details of the tender process for Board exam answer sheet procurement under the RTI Act. The CIC overturned CBSE's previous denial of information, finding the Central Public Information Officer had unjustifiably cited multiple exemption clauses.