Challenges and Issues Associated with the Central Information Commission

The following are some issues associated with CIC:

1. Backlogs & Delays

The average time for the CIC to handle an appeal or complaint is 388 days. This time frame begins on the day the commission received the complaint or appeal. According to a newly published study, the Central and State Information Commissions are now handling over 2.2 lakh cases under the RTI Act, of 2005.

2. No mention of Penalties

The recently released study also made note of the lack of any measures for penalties if a government official breaks any state or federal laws. Also, it was discovered that only 2.2% of the cases the commission resolved resulted in the officials being found guilty of breaking the law and facing fines from the commission. On the other hand, a prior report indicated that at least 59% of the cases submitted under the CIC had some sort of legal infraction and that in such cases, fines should have been applied.

3. Availability of Vacant Positions in the CIC

There are three vacant positions in the Central Information Commission, even though the courts have issued directives on multiple occasions.

4. Transparency Gap in the CIC

The precise standards used by the Prime Minister-chaired committee to choose the Chief Information Commissioner and the other Information Commissioners are not made available to the general public. As a result, the Central Information Commission’s appointment process and operation are unclear.

Central Information Commission (CIC) – Appointment, Tenure, Powers and Functions

The Central Information Commission (CIC) is a statutory body responsible for directing the execution of the Right to Information Act of 2005. When citizens file appeals after being refused access to information by government agencies, the CIC is in the role of reviewing and making a decision. Also, the CIC has the authority to mandate that government agencies release information.

The CIC has been important in ensuring that India’s citizens have access to the information to which they are legally entitled and has contributed to an increase in government accountability and transparency. In this article, we will look into the various aspects of the Central Information Commission (CIC) in detail.

Table of Content

  • What is the Central Information Commission?
  • Appointment and Tenure of the Chief Information Commissioner Members
  • Removal of the Central Information Commission (CIC) Members
  • Powers and Functions of the Central Information Commission (CIC)
  • Challenges and Issues Associated with the Central Information Commission
  • Central Information Commission and the RTI Act
  • Draft Rules of the Central Information Commission
  • Bhagat Singh vs Central Information Commission
  • Significance of Central Information Commission
  • Central Information Commission UPSC

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