Gangtok, August 27:
The 15th Annual General Body Meeting of the National Federation of Information Commissions in India (NFICI) was held in CIC Bhawan, New Delhi under the aegis of the Central Information Commission on 26th August 2025.
On this occasion, the RTI Journal was released and the Annual General Body Meeting was formally inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science & Technology; Ministry of Earth Sciences; Minister of State for PMO; Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; and Department of Space, Government of India.
The meeting brought together Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners from across the country to deliberate on strengthening the implementation of the Right to Information Act, 2005, enhancing transparency and accountability in governance, and sharing best practices of different State Commissions. Sikkim Information Commission was represented by the Chief Information Commissioner Shri YP Gurung and State Information Commissioner Shri Kuber Bhandari.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, in his address, highlighted the Government of India’s commitment towards promoting openness, efficiency, and citizen-centric governance. He emphasized the crucial role of Information Commissions in ensuring that the objectives of the RTI Act are met in letter and spirit. Dr Singh congratulated NFICI’s efforts for publishing RTI Journal . The President of NFICI who is also the Chief Information Commissioner Shri Heeralal Samaria delivered the welcome address and informed about the functioning of Information Commissions in the country.
The Annual General Body Meeting of NFICI serves as a key platform for reviewing the progress of RTI implementation nationwide and for adopting resolutions to further empower citizens through the Right to Information.
It is a matter of pride that two significant decisions of Sikkim Information Commission have been included in the RTI Journal.