IN A MAJOR RULING with significant implications for Indian cricket, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has held that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not a “public authority” under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, overturning its own landmark 2018 order.
The decision effectively means that the BCCI will not be required to respond to RTI applications under the transparency law. The ruling was delivered by Information Commissioner, P. R. Ramesh, who concluded that the cricket board does not satisfy the criteria laid down under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act because it is neither owned, controlled, nor substantially financed by the government.
In the order, the Commission observed that the BCCI is a private autonomous body, is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, and was not established by the Constitution, Parliament, state legislature, or government notification.
The CIC stated that “the BCCI cannot be classified as a ‘Public Authority’ within the meaning of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.” The Commission further noted that the government does not exercise deep administrative or financial control over the BCCI, and the board functions independently through revenues generated from media rights, sponsorships, broadcasting agreements, ticket sales and commercial cricket operations.
According to the CIC, merely performing public functions such as selecting the Indian cricket team, regulating cricket competitions, and representing India internationally does not automatically qualify an organisation as a “public authority” under the RTI Act.
The latest ruling overturns a widely discussed 2018 CIC order delivered by then Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu. That order had held that the BCCI performs public duties, enjoys state support, and exercises monopolistic control over cricket in India, thereby making it subject to RTI obligations. The 2018 order had directed the BCCI to appoint Public Information Officers (PIOs), and comply with RTI disclosure norms. However, the BCCI challenged the ruling before the Madras High Court.
In September 2025, the Madras High Court reportedly remitted the matter back to the CIC for fresh consideration in light of Supreme Court observations in the Zee Telefilms case, and the BCCI vs Cricket Association of Bihar case. The High Court directed the Commission to re-examine whether BCCI satisfied the statutory definition of a public authority, and whether its regulatory role alone was sufficient to bring it under RTI jurisdiction.
