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Second appeals, penalties and a binding word: the sections that give the Central Information Commission its powers

Background

The Central Information Commission was constituted under the Right to Information Act, 2005, with effect from 12 October 2005. Its powers and functions sit in sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of that Act. Section 19 gives it the second appeal, which is the appeal a citizen may bring after the first appellate authority inside a public authority has dealt with the request. Section 18 carries the powers and functions of the Commission, among them receiving and inquiring into complaints, including a complaint that a person was not able to file a request for information at all. The Commission's functions also take in directions on record keeping and on the disclosures a public authority should make on its own motion. Section 20 is the penalty provision. Section 25 carries the monitoring and reporting work, under which the Commission prepares an Annual Report. The Commission's jurisdiction runs over all Central Public Authorities, and its decisions are final and binding.

Sections carrying the Commission's powers: Sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 Jurisdiction: All Central Public Authorities Status of its decisions: Final and binding

Why it matters for exams: The Central Information Commission is constituted under the Right to Information Act, and sections 18, 19, 20 and 25 of that Act carry its complaint, second appeal, penalty and annual reporting powers.

Kerala PSCUPSC

14 November 2026 Source: Central Information Commission

In plain words

Second appeal Second appeal under the Right to Information Act — The appeal a citizen may bring to the Commission after the first appellate authority in the public authority has dealt with the request.

Public Authority Public Authority — The bodies covered by the Right to Information Act; the Commission's jurisdiction extends over all Central ones.