BCCI not covered under RTI Act as it is not govt-controlled, says CIC

The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Monday ruled that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, as it is neither owned, controlled, nor substantially financed by the government.

The Commission dismissed an appeal seeking details on the legal provisions and authority under which the BCCI represents India and selects players for national and international cricket tournaments.

In its order, the CIC noted that the BCCI is a private autonomous body registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. It added that the cricket board was not established by the Constitution, Parliament, a state legislature, or through any government notification.

“The BCCI cannot be classified as a ‘Public Authority’ within the meaning of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act and the provisions of the Act are therefore inapplicable to it in the facts and circumstances of the present case,” Information Commissioner P R Ramesh said in his order.