India, Oct. 14 -- The Right to Information (RTI) law was enacted in 2005 to provide a practical regime for people to exercise their fundamental right to information by accessing information from public authorities. Under the RTI law, Information Commissions (ICs) are the final appellate authority and are mandated to safeguard and facilitate people's fundamental right to information. ICs have been set up at the central level (Central Information Commission or CIC) and in the states (state information commissions).

In a judgment dated February 15, 2019 (Anjali Bhardwaj and others v. Union of India and others (Writ Petition No. 436 of 2018)), the Supreme Court held that information commissions are vital for the smooth working of the Right t...