BCCI is not a public authority under the RTI Act: Central Information Commission

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

The commission dismissed the appeal, which sought details regarding the provisions and powers under which the BCCI represents India and selects players for national and international cricket tournaments.

In his order, Information Commissioner PR Ramesh said that BCCI is a private autonomous body registered under the Tamil Nadu Companies Registration Act and does not fall within the definition of a public body under Section 2(c). h) of the RTI Act.

“BCCI cannot be classified as a ‘public body’ within the meaning of Section 2(h) of the RTI Act and, therefore, the provisions of the Act do not apply to it in the facts and circumstances of this case,” Ramesh said in the order.

The decision concludes a jurisdictional battle that has been ongoing since 2018. Former Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu had earlier declared the BCCI a public body under the RTI Act and ordered it to appoint public information officers.

BCCI challenged this decision in the Madras High Court. The court later remanded the matter back to the CIC for a fresh decision after taking into account Supreme Court precedents on the issue.

In a new decision, the Commission stated that BCCI does not meet the legal requirements set out in § 2 letter h) of the RTI Act. The order noted that the council was not established by or under the constitution or created by any law passed by Parliament or the state legislature.

The Commission also examined the nature of BCCI’s functioning, financial structure and relationship with the government before reaching its conclusion.

Regarding government control, the CIC said the government does not exercise “any deep or pervasive control” over the board’s administration or internal affairs.

The order further states that the BCCI operates as a financially independent entity that generates its revenue through media rights, sponsorship deals, broadcast deals and ticket sales.

The commission also clarified that tax exemptions or statutory reliefs available under the Act cannot be considered as “substantial funding” by the government under the RTI Act.

The case stemmed from an RTI application seeking to know the legal basis on which the BCCI represents the country in cricket and conducts player selection for international tournaments despite being a private entity.

The latest regulation is likely to remain significant in the ongoing debate about transparency and accountability in Indian cricket administration, especially given the BCCI’s influence on the sport in the country and around the world.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

18 May 2026 14:16 IST