Delhi High Court rejects plea to classify Rajiv Gandhi Foundation as public authority

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a 2011 petition seeking to classify the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) as a ‘public authority’ under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma dismissed the plea, filed by lawyer Shanmuga Patro, citing the petitioner's failure to appear before the court on several recent dates.

The petition challenged a 2010 order by the Central Information Commission (CIC), which had previously refused to declare the Foundation a public authority. Patro argued that because the RGF performs activities affecting the public, it should be subject to RTI transparency rules.

The petitioner noted that the RGF was established following the death of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and its formation was announced in the 1991-92 Union Budget. The plea also alleged that the Foundation had received government benefits, including a building and a plot of land on Rajendra Prasad Road in New Delhi, without paying property tax or license fees.