Central Information Commission
Md Iqbal Ansari vs Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting on 11 May, 2026
केन्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग, मुननरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई निल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
File No: CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016
Md Iqbal Ansari .....अपीलकर्ाग /Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO : ....प्रनर्वािीगण /Respondent
1. The CPIO
SO-RTI Cell, Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting, 'A' Wing, Shastri
Bhawan, New Delhi 110001.
2. The CPIO
Prasar Bharati, Room No. 503, Tower
A, Doordarshan Bhawan, Copernicus
Marg, New Delhi - 110001
Date of Hearing : 11-05-2026
Date of Decision : 11-05-2026
INFORMATION COMMISSIONER : Khushwant Singh Sethi
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 24-04-2025
CPIO replied on : 09-05-2025
First appeal filed on : 29-05-2025
First Appellate Authority's order : 10-06-2025
2nd Appeal dated : 18-06-2025
CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016 Page 1 of 5
Information sought:
1. The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 24-04-2025 seeking the following information:
"Subject: Request for information under the Right to Information Act, 2005 regarding complaints of biased reporting and propaganda against Muslims in electronic media.
1. Please provide the total number of complaints received by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in each of the last three financial years (2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025) that allege defamation or spreading of propaganda against Muslims in electronic media, including television, radio, and other broadcasting services regulated by the Ministry.
2. The types of actions taken by the Ministry on such complaints (e.g., warnings, fines, license suspensions, or other measures).
3. Has the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued any specific guidelines or advisories to electronic media outlets on avoiding biased reporting against religious communities, particularly Muslims, in the last three years? If yes, please provide copies of those guidelines or advisories.
4. Has the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting conducted any studies or reports on the prevalence of biased reporting against Muslims in Indian electronic media in the last three years? If yes, please provide summaries or copies of those reports."
2. The CPIO furnished a reply to the Appellant on 09-05-2025 stating as under:
"Reply:- This Section is mandated to look into the adherence of Programme and Advertising Codes as prescribed under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995 by the private satellite TV channels. The point wise reply to your queries is as follows- Point 1 & 2: With respect to private satellite TV channels- The information sought by you is not readily available in the format as requested. As per readily available records, the details of specific violations and action taken thereon by the Ministry for violation of Programme and Advertising Codes by all Private Satellite TV channels from Year 2022 to 2025 (till 09/05/2025) are attached as Annexure A. Point 3: As per the information available with this CPIO, this Ministry has issued three advisories dated 23.04.2022, 08.06.2023 and 20.01.2024 in the last 3 years to all the CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016 Page 2 of 5 private satellite channels to refrain from telecasting any content that may disturb the communal harmony in the society. These advisories are available on this Ministry website: https://mib.gov.in/documents/notification/advisories. Point 4: The information sought by you is not available with this CPIO."
3. Being dissatisfied, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 29-05-2025. The FAA vide its order dated 10-06-2025, upheld the reply given by the CPIO.
4. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied, Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Relevant Facts emerged during Hearing:
The following were present:-
Appellant: Absent.
Respondent: Ms. Jaya Jagriti, CPIO, attended the hearing in person.
5. The Respondent submitted, that the appellant sought information regarding the total number of complaints received by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in each of the last three financial years that allege defamation or spreading of propaganda against Muslims; types of actions taken by the Ministry on such complaints (e.g., warnings, fines, license suspensions, or other measures) etc. The respondent also submitted, that the sought information is not available with them and the same was informed to the appellant vide letter dated 21.05.2025.
Decision:
6. The Commission, after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing the respondent and perusal of the records, observes that the respondent had informed the appellant, that the sought information is not available with them vide letter dated 21.05.2025. However, it is the contention of the appellant, that the respondent ought to have transferred the RTI CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016 Page 3 of 5 application to appropriate PIO U/s 6(3) of the RTI Act, 2005. During the hearing, the respondent confirmed, that the RTI application was received by them via transfer after multiple transfers from various authorities. The Commission finds that in that scenario, the respondent should advise the appellant to make separate applications to concerned public authorities, and the same was done by FAA vide order dated 26.05.2025. The Commission also finds, that this is in line with the para no. 3 (iii) of the office memorandum dated 12.06.2008 issued by the Department of Personnel & Training.
7. Further, the Commission finds, that the other RTI application filed by the appellant, seeking similar information was adjudicated by the Commission in case no. CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800011. Therefore, no further intervention of the Commission is required. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Khushwant Singh Sethi) (खुशवन्त स िंह ेठी) Information Commissioner ( ूचना आयुक्त) निनां क/Date: 11.05.2026 Authenticated true copy S. K. Chitkara (एस. के. नचटकारा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26107026 CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016 Page 4 of 5 Copy To:
1. The CPIO SO-RTI Cell, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 'A' Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi 110001.
2. The CPIO Prasar Bharati, Room No. 503, Tower A, Doordarshan Bhawan, Copernicus Marg, New Delhi - 110001
3. The FAA, SO-RTI Cell, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 'A' Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi 110001
4. Md Iqbal Ansari CIC/MOIAB/A/2025/800016 Page 5 of 5 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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