Commission of Central Information

What Is It?

The CIC is the highest appellate authority under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005, tasked with resolving second appeals and complaints about obtaining public information.

Founded In:

Established on 12 October 2005 through a Central Government notice in accordance with Section 12 of the RTI Act, 2005.

Main office: New Delhi, India

Framework:

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and as many as 10 Information Commissioners (ICs).

Appointment scheduled by a committee consisting of:

Premier (Chairperson)

Opponent Leader in Lok Sabha

PM nominates Union Cabinet Minister

Objective:

Promote openness and responsibility in administration by upholding the Right to Information for citizens.

Minimize corruption and encourage citizen involvement in democracy.

Functions & Authorities:

Adjudication: Reviews second appeals regarding rulings made by Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs).

Complaints Management: Investigates rejection, postponement, refusal, or excessive charges for RTI requests (Sec 18).

Oversight: Guarantees automatic disclosures by governmental bodies (Sec 4).

Sanctions: Can apply sanctions to misbehaving officials for failure to comply (Sec 20).

Annual Reporting: Delivers yearly report on RTI execution to Parliament (Sec 25).

Quasi-Judicial Authorities:

Call witnesses, compel presence, gather testimony under oath.

Request public records and review them during the investigation.

Provide guidance to enhance documentation practices and encourage transparency in sharing information.