ETV Bharat: New Delhi: Thursday, 20 August 2026.
The single bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that the petitioner, Shanmuga Patro, had failed to appear for the hearing on several previous occasions.
The Delhi High Court on
Wednesday dismissed a petition seeking to declare the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation a
'public authority' under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
During the hearing, the single bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that the petitioner, Shanmuga Patro, failed to appear for the hearing on several previous occasions.
The petitioner had approached the High Court in 2011, challenging a 2010 decision by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had refused to classify the Foundation as a public authority under the RTI Act.
The petition argued that the activities of the Foundation directly impact the general public. Therefore, it should be brought within the ambit of the RTI Act.
It further stated that the foundation had received various facilities and concessions from the government, including a plot of land measuring approximately 9,319.42 square yards—along with the building on it on Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi.
The petition further noted that following the demise of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the then vice-president had appealed to the public to contribute towards the causes with which Rajiv Gandhi had been associated. Subsequently, the establishment of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was announced in the Union Budget of 1991-92.
Citing the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the National Defence Fund, the petitioner pointed out that both these entities are considered public authorities under the RTI Act despite not receiving any government grant. Therefore, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation should also come under the purview of the RTI Act, he contended.
The single bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that the petitioner, Shanmuga Patro, had failed to appear for the hearing on several previous occasions.
During the hearing, the single bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma noted that the petitioner, Shanmuga Patro, failed to appear for the hearing on several previous occasions.
The petitioner had approached the High Court in 2011, challenging a 2010 decision by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had refused to classify the Foundation as a public authority under the RTI Act.
The petition argued that the activities of the Foundation directly impact the general public. Therefore, it should be brought within the ambit of the RTI Act.
It further stated that the foundation had received various facilities and concessions from the government, including a plot of land measuring approximately 9,319.42 square yards—along with the building on it on Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi.
The petition further noted that following the demise of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991, the then vice-president had appealed to the public to contribute towards the causes with which Rajiv Gandhi had been associated. Subsequently, the establishment of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation was announced in the Union Budget of 1991-92.
Citing the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the National Defence Fund, the petitioner pointed out that both these entities are considered public authorities under the RTI Act despite not receiving any government grant. Therefore, the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation should also come under the purview of the RTI Act, he contended.
.JPG)
.JPG)
