Lok Sabha Question No. 1045 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-26
Subject: Information Commissions of India
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Raksha Nikhil Khadse

## MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1045

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2023)

## INFORMATION COMMISSIONS OF INDIA

## 1045. SHRIMATI RAKSHA NIKHIL KHADSE:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  the  piling  number  of  cases  in  Information Commissions of India and if so, the details thereof along with the details of the defunct Commissions,  Commissions  without  Information  Commissioners  and  the  number  of posts lying vacant of Information Commissioner;
- (b) the details of the number of cases registered, number of cases heard/ordered and pending cases during the last five years, State-wise especially in Maharashtra; and
- (c) the steps initiated by the Government in this regard for the proper and timely decision on the matters registered under the Commissions?

## 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) &  (b): Filling  up  of  vacancies  of  Information  Commissioners  in  State  Information Commissions is the subject matter of respective State Governments as per Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005.

Further,  in  terms  of  Section  12(3)  of  the  RTI  Act,  2005,  the  Central  Information Commission  shall  consist  of  the  Chief  Information  Commissioner  and  such  number  of Information Commissioners, not exceeding ten, as may be deemed necessary. At present, four Information Commissioners apart from the Chief Information Commissioner are in  position in the CIC.

The details of the number of cases registered, disposed and pending  in respect of Central Information Commission during the last five years are given below:

| Year    | Registered (Appeal/Complaint)   | Disposed   | Pending as on 1 st April   |
|---------|---------------------------------|------------|----------------------------|
| 2018-19 | 22,736                          | 17,188     | 29,655                     |
| 2019-20 | 22,243                          | 16,720     | 35,178                     |
| 2020-21 | 19,183                          | 17,016     | 38,116                     |
| 2021-22 | 19,604                          | 28,793     | 29,213                     |
| 2022-23 | 19,014                          | 29,210     | 19,233                     |

(c):    The  Government  has  taken  a  series  of  steps  which  include  capacity  building  through training and issue of guidelines for Public Information Officers and First Appellate Authorities, so  as  to  enable  them  to  supply  information/dispose  of  first  appeal  effectively,  resulting  inless number of appeals to the Information Commission. The Government, apart from a number of clarificatory orders, has also issued OM No. 1/18/2007-IR dated 21 st September,2007, 1/6/2011IR dated 15 th April, 2013 and 1/6/2011-IR dated 7 th November, 2019 impressing upon the public authorities to disclose maximum information proactively so that citizens need not resort to filing of  RTI  applications  to  access  information  available  with  the  public  authorities.  The  Central Information  Commission  has  been  granted  autonomy  in  recruitment  of  staff.  Further,  Chief Information  Commissioner  and  four  Information  Commissioners  have  been  appointed  in  the Central Information Commission in January 2019.

As far as second appeals are concerned, the Central Information Commission has taken several initiatives to improve the effectiveness of RTI Act viz. e-court and video conferencing for the early and effective hearing of second appeals/complaints.

The Commission has also completed digitization of records besides electronic receipts of cases and registration, one click information window & mobile app for the benefit of the RTI applicants.

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