"Supreme Court Issues Notice on PIL Seeking Direct Virtual Hearing Access in CIC"

On Tuesday, September 17, the Supreme Court sought a response from the Union government on a PIL that calls for the Central Information Commission (CIC) to provide direct access to virtual hearings via court links. Advocate Kishan Chand Jain, the petitioner, argued that while the CIC has nationwide jurisdiction, it conducts hybrid hearings through NIC studios instead of offering direct online links. This forces appellants to travel to these studios, causing significant inconvenience. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, along with Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, issued a notice in the case, allowing the petitioner to serve the respondents online. The plea highlighted an RTI response from the CIC’s CPIO, stating that there was no proposal under consideration to offer direct virtual hearing links, and that hybrid hearings would continue through NIC studios. The petitioner referenced a 2023 Supreme Court ruling (Kishan Chand Jain v. Union of India) which directed State Information Commissions (SICs) to offer hybrid hearing options for appeals and complaints, and to streamline e-filing processes. The petitioner also cited the 2023 decision in Sarvesh Mathur v. Registrar General of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana, where the Court mandated hybrid hearings for all High Courts. The petitioner seeks directions for the CIC to: 1. Include virtual hearing links in daily cause lists, in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling. 2. End the practice of requiring appellants to travel to NIC studios for virtual hearings, to make the process more accessible and user-friendly. The next hearing is scheduled for October 21. Case: KISHAN CHAND JAIN v. CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION & ANR. Writ Petition(s)(Civil) No(s).580/2024 www.legalmeet.in