Throw some Light on the issues associated with functioning of the central information commission. Suggest measures to address these issues.

Central information commission is a Quasi judicial body, which is an appellate for the RTI process. It consists of Chief Information Commissioner and 10 information commissioners.

Issues in functioning:

• Vacancies and delay in appointment of CIC and ICs.
• RTI act amendment has eroded the autonomy and independence of CIC.
• CIC and ICs are mostly bureaucrats; there is a need for diversity by appointing RTI specialists, legal expert, etc.
• Lack of standardization in forms and process of appeal, leading to rejection of petitions.
• Pending appeals of thousands of cases, which take years to resolve.
• Many anonymous complaints, fail to appear before CIC.
• Lack of geographical reach, hindering accessibility.

Measures needed:

• Recruit more ICs from diverse backgrounds.
• Use of ICT in its functioning to improve efficiency.
• Timely filing of vacancies.
• Standardize the process by increasing infrastructure.
• Increase geographical reach.

Thus, better functioning of RTI needs to be backed by strong legislations for realising true potential of the act.

Topics: GS-II: Constitutional Statutory Regulatory and Quasi Judicial Bodies