RTI Act | First Appellate Authority Not Deemed Public Information Officer Without Meeting S.5 Requirements: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that a First Appellate Authority under the Right to Information Act, 2005 cannot be treated as a deemed Public Information Officer and subjected to penalty under Section 20(1) of the Act without satisfaction of the statutory requirements contained in Sections 5(4) and 5(5). The Court observed that the State Information Commission imposed a penalty...

CIC Recommends Delhi University To Maintain Public Record Of Foreign Students Getting Admission Based On OCI Card

RTI applicant had sought number of foreign students seeking admission in DU between 2020-2024.

Century Club Is 'Public Authority' Under RTI Act, Land Grant By Mysuru Maharaja Amounts To 'Substantial Financing': Karnataka High Court

The Karnataka High Court has recently held that the Century Club, a prestigious members-only club situated in the centre of Bengaluru, is a 'Public Authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. [2026 LiveLaw (Kar) 242]The Division Bench of Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice Venkatesh Naik T has dismissed the appeal filed by the Century Club,...

RTI Act | Penalty For Delay In Furnishing Information Can't Be Imposed Without Hearing Public Information Officer: Allahabad High Court

The Allahabad High Court has held that penalty under Section 20 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 cannot be imposed without forming opinion on material and affording opportunity of hearing to the Public Information Officer.For context, Section 20 penalises deliberate obstruction or delay in supplying information sought under the RTI Act.The...

Specific Notice Under RTI Act Mandatory Before Imposing Penalty On Public Information Officer: Chhattisgarh High Court

The Chhattisgarh High Court has held that the State Information Commission cannot treat an earlier notice issued during appeal proceedings as a "final notice" for the purpose of imposing a penalty under Section 20(1) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. The Court observed that before imposing a penalty upon a Public Information Officer, the...

Private Schools Are Not 'Public Authority' Under RTI Act, But Must Display Fee Structure As Per State Rules: Madras High Court

The Madras High Court has held that private unaided schools are bound to display their fee structure at the entrance. [2026 LiveLaw (Mad) 306] Relying on the provisions of the Private Schools Act and the Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Rules, Justice M Dhandapani held that the Rules mandate displaying details of infrastructure...

Kerala High Court Strikes Down 20-Page Cap On Free RTI Information For Below Poverty Line Applicants As Ultra Vires RTI Act

The Kerala High Court has struck down proviso to Rule 4(4) of the Kerala Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2006, which restrict free supply of information under RTI Act to persons below the poverty line (BPL) to twenty pages. [2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 355]Justice Mohammed Nias C.P. found that the proviso to the afore Rule,...

Karnataka High Court Upholds Penalty Under RTI Act, Says Successor Officer Can't Blame Predecessor For Pending Matters

The Karnataka High Court has recently dismissed a plea by the Secretary of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), challenging the imposition of a Rs 25,000 penalty and directions for disciplinary proceedings against him by the Karnataka Information Commission (KIC) for failure to furnish information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act,...

P&H High Court Holds Chandigarh Golf Club Falls Within RTI Act, Cites Indirect Substantial Govt Financing

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Chandigarh Golf Club to put in place a mechanism to comply with the Right to Information (RTI) Act within a month. [2026 LiveLaw (PH) 203]The Court dismissed its plea against a 2012 Central Information Commission (CIC) order that declared it a “public authority”.Justice Kuldeep Tiwari said, "Enough...

Lokayukta Special Police Not 'Intelligence & Security Organisation' Exempt From RTI Act : Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a Madhya Pradesh High Court direction requiring the Special Police Establishment (SPE) of the Lokayukta Organisation to disclose information sought under the Right to Information Act, while striking down a 2011 State Government notification that exempted the SPE from the RTI regime. A Bench of Justice J.K....

Civil Service Exam : CIC Questions UPSC, DoPT Decision To Discontinue Publishing Of Paper-Wise Marks Of Successful Candidates

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has criticized the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) over their “contradictory stances” regarding disclosure of paper-wise marks of successful Civil Services Examination (CSE) candidates, observing that the rationale for discontinuing the practice...

Jharkhand RTI Row: Appointment Process Contravenes Section 15(6) And Dilutes Legislative Intent

On 29 January 2026, the State of Jharkhand informed the Jharkhand High Court that the State Information Commission, which has remained non-functional due to the non-appointment of its Chairperson and Members, would be made functional within four weeks. A Division Bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai was hearing...