Lok Sabha Question No. 135 (STARRED), answered on 2021-02-10
Subject: Applications under RTI
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Uttam Kumar Nalamada Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 135

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.02.2021)

## APPLICATIONS UNDER RTI

## *135. SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of RTI applications filed, answered and rejected, year-wise since 2014;
- (b) the number of appeals/complaints made, answered and rejected by Central Information Commision (CIC) and State Information Commissions (SICs);
- (c) the year-wise number of unanswered and pending appeals made to CIC and SICs and the reasons therefor;
- (d) the number of sanctioned posts and vacancies separately for CIC and SICs; and
- (e) the reasons for not filling up the vacancies?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) to (e):    A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  THE  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. 135 BY SHRI UTTAM KUMAR REDDY NALAMADA REGARDING 'APPLICATIONS UNDER RTI'

(a): The  number  of  RTI  applications  filed,  answered  and  rejected  year-wise  since  2014 pertaining to Central Public Authorities:

(Data provided by CIC)

|         | No. of RTI applications   | No. of RTI applications   | No. of RTI applications   |
|---------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|
| Years   | Filed                     | Answered                  | Rejected                  |
| 2014-15 | 755247                    | NA                        | 63351                     |
| 2015-16 | 976679                    | NA                        | 64666                     |
| 2016-17 | 915749                    | NA                        | 60428                     |
| 2017-18 | 1233207                   | 950715*                   | 63206                     |
| 2018-19 | 1370129                   | 1060617*                  | 64344                     |
| 2019-20 | 1374315                   | 1086657                   | 58634                     |

*Provisional data.

(b):    The  number  of  appeals/  complaints  made,  answered  and  rejected  by  Central  Information Commission (CIC) is as below:

| Year                        |   Registered (Appeals / Complaints Made) |   Disposed (Answered) | No. of Returned cases (Rejected)   |
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------|
| 2014-15                     |                                    35396 |                 20181 | N/A                                |
| 2015-16                     |                                    25960 |                 28188 | N/A                                |
| 2016-17                     |                                    23811 |                 32344 | N/A                                |
| 2017-18                     |                                    25815 |                 29005 | 17870                              |
| 2018-19                     |                                    22736 |                 17188 | 18988                              |
| 2019-20                     |                                    22243 |                 16720 | 18254                              |
| 2020-21 Upto (January,2021) |                                    17143 |                 13142 | 13208                              |

(c): The  Year-wise  details  of  unanswered  and  pending  appeals  made  to  Central  Information Commission is as under:

| Year               |   No. of Unanswered and Pending cases |
|--------------------|---------------------------------------|
| Upto 2014          |                                    58 |
| 2015               |                                     3 |
| 2016               |                                     7 |
| 2017               |                                    16 |
| 2018               |                                   700 |
| 2019               |                                 17541 |
| 2020               |                                 18513 |
| 2021 upto Jan,2021 |                                  1732 |
| Total              |                                 38570 |

It is the endeavour of the CIC to dispose off pending Second Appeals/Complaints at the earliest  possible  time.  In  2020,  the  Covid-19  situation  and  lock-down  have  been  reasons for lesser number of hearings, since the appellants and CPIOs were unable to attend the hearings.

As far as State Information Commissions are concerned, the requisite data is maintained by the States.

(d) & (e):  As per the provisions of Section 12(2) of the RTI act, 2005, the Central Information Commission shall consist of-

1. The Chief Information Commissioner and
2. Such  number  of  Central  Information  Commissioners  not  exceeding  ten,  as  may  be deemed necessary.

Presently, the Chief Information Commissioner and seven Central Information Commissioners are in position in the Central Information Commission.

The number of sanctioned posts in the Secretariat of Central Information Commission - 160. The number of vacant posts in the Secretariat of Central Information Commission - 08 The filling up of posts is a continuous process.

As  per  the  provisions  of  Section  15(2)of  the  RTI  act,  2005,  the  State  Information Commission shall consist of-

- (I) the State Chief Information Commissioner, and
- (II) such number of State Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary.

Data  in  respect  of  the  vacancies  of  Chief  Information  Commissioner  and  Information Commissioners in the State Information Commissions is maintained by the States.

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