The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has won the major legal battle after the Central Information Commission ruled that the board will not come under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. It was a big development in Indian sports administration that finally ended years-long legal battles.
With this ruling on Monday (May 18), the Board of Control for Cricket in India will not be forced to publicly share internal information the way government departments and public authorities are required to do under RTI rules.
2018 RTI decision against BCCI finally overturned
The controversy started back in 2018 when former Information Commissioner M. Sridhar Acharyulu had ruled that the BCCI should be treated as a public authority under the RTI Act.
At that time, the Indian Cricket Board was even asked to appoint Public Information Officers under Section 2(h) of the Act so people could directly file RTI applications and seek information from the board.
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But the BCCI strongly challenged that decision in the Madras High Court. The matter later went back to the Central Information Commission after the court asked the CIC to hear the case again while considering important Supreme Court judgments related to private bodies and public authorities.
CIC declares BCCI is not a ‘Public Authority’
Now, Information Commissioner P.R. Ramesh has delivered a fresh order in favor of the BCCI. According to the ruling, the Indian cricket board does not fit into the legal definition of a “public authority” under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act.
The Commission explained that the BCCI is registered as a private society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act. It also said that the board was neither created directly by the Indian Constitution nor formed through any law passed by Parliament. Because of this, the CIC said the BCCI cannot automatically be treated like a government-controlled body.
Commission highlights BCCI’s private and independent structure
One of the biggest points discussed during the hearing was whether the government controls the BCCI. The Commission clearly said there is no deep or direct government control over how the cricket board functions.
According to the ruling, the BCCI runs independently and handles its own administration, decision-making, and management without regular government interference. The CIC also focused on the BCCI’s money power.
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The order pointed out that the board is financially independent and earns massive revenue on its own through broadcasting rights, sponsorship deals, IPL earnings, ticket sales, and other commercial activities. Because of this, the Commission felt the BCCI could not be considered financially dependent on the government.
Financial independence and lack of government control favored the board
Another key point that worked in the board’s favor was whether tax benefits given to the BCCI could be treated as government funding. But the Commission made it clear that normal tax exemptions and legal concessions available under Indian law cannot be called “substantial financing” under the RTI Act.
The order also spoke about how the BCCI has grown into the world’s richest cricket body because of India’s massive cricket market and the unbelievable success of the IPL. The Commission observed that simply bringing more government control into such a huge commercial structure may not automatically improve fairness or transparency and could even create operational problems.
The commissioner said, “To superimpose a model of oversight premised solely on governmental control may fail to account for these realities and could risk unintended consequences, including inefficiencies or disruptions in a finely balanced economic structure.”
Indian cricket board to stay outside RTI unless new law is introduced
The case had originally reached the CIC after an RTI application was filed with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. However, the ministry said it did not have the requested information and could not transfer the application to the BCCI because the board was still considered a private body.
The Commission made it clear that if the BCCI is ever to come under RTI in the future, it may require a completely new law or a special government order. Until then, the board will continue to operate as an autonomous private organization outside the direct control of RTI rules.
