The Central Information Commission (CIC) has ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a “public authority” under the Right to Information Act and therefore does not come within its ambit, reversing its earlier 2018 decision.
The order, issued on Monday, set aside the previous ruling by then CIC Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu, which had held that the BCCI qualified as a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
The case stemmed from a petition seeking information on the functioning and administration of the BCCI. The Commission observed that the board is a private organisation established to promote the game of cricket and operates through its own rules and regulations without statutory backing.
It further noted that the BCCI functions independently of any statute and is primarily accountable to its members.
Addressing arguments that the BCCI performs a public role by selecting the Indian national cricket team and representing the country in international competitions, the CIC held that such functions do not bring the body within the scope of the RTI Act.
“The RTI Act does not include ‘public function’ as a criterion for determining a public authority,” the order stated.
The BCCI had earlier challenged its classification under the RTI framework, arguing that it is an autonomous private body and does not receive substantial government funding, and therefore cannot be treated as a public authority under the Act.
