Section 15 of RTI Act : Section 15: Constitution Of State Information Commission

Explanation using Example

Imagine a scenario where a citizen of the state of Karnataka wants to know the details of a government housing project. The citizen files an RTI (Right to Information) request but does not receive a satisfactory response from the concerned department. The citizen decides to appeal the decision.

The Karnataka State Information Commission, constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act, becomes the authority to hear the appeal. The Commission is headed by the State Chief Information Commissioner and includes several other State Information Commissioners, all appointed by the Governor as per the recommendation of a committee including the Chief Minister, the Leader of Opposition, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the Chief Minister.

In this case, the Commission, leveraging its powers as outlined in Section 15(4), reviews the citizen's appeal independently, without influence from any other state authority. The Commission's decision is based on the expertise of its members, who have notable backgrounds in law, journalism, or public administration, as required by Section 15(5).

Ultimately, the Commission might order the concerned department to provide the requested information to the citizen, thereby upholding the citizen's right to information and ensuring transparency in the government project.