Consider the following statements about an inquiry carried out by an I

Consider the following statements about an inquiry carried out by an Information Commission:

  • 1. It may examine any record to which the RTI Act, 2005 applies.
  • 2. No such record can be withheld from it (irrespective of any provision of any Act passed by the Parliament or the State legislature).
  • 3. Information Commission has the powers of a civil court trying a suit under the code of civil procedure.

Which of the above statements are correct ?

1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC Combined Section Officer – 2024
The correct option is D as all three statements correctly describe the powers of the Information Commission during an inquiry under the RTI Act, 2005.
Section 18(3) and Section 18(4) of the RTI Act grant significant powers to the Central and State Information Commissions to conduct inquiries and access records held by public authorities, overriding restrictions in other laws.
Section 18(3) bestows upon the Information Commission the powers of a civil court in respect of matters such as summoning, requiring discovery and inspection, receiving evidence on affidavit, etc. Section 18(4) further strengthens this by giving the Commission the power to examine any record to which the Act applies, under the control of the public authority, and explicitly states that no such record may be withheld from it on any grounds, notwithstanding anything contained in any other Act of Parliament or State Legislature.