The Central Information Commission (CIC) has stayed the disclosure of bank inspection reports, lists of non-performing assets (NPAs) and penalty-related details under the Right to Information Act, pending a hearing by the Supreme Court scheduled for Tuesday.
Citing the wide national implications of the issue, the transparency watchdog said no such information should be released until the apex court decides petitions filed by several banks seeking reconsideration of the landmark Jayantilal N Mistry judgment on disclosure of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) inspection reports.
In a series of interim orders covering appeals by State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, RBL Bank, Yes Bank, Citibank NA and Ahmednagar Merchants’ Co-operative Bank, the Commission directed that disclosure remain stayed until further orders.
Information Commissioner Khushwant Singh Sethi observed that related writ petitions are listed before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, and said it would be appropriate to await its directions. “The Commission opined that it would be appropriate to have the benefit of the direction of the Supreme Court of India, in the matter,” the CIC recorded.
The cases arise from objections raised by banks to the RBI’s decisions to disclose supervisory and regulatory information, including inspection and risk assessment reports, lists of NPAs and wilful defaulters, show-cause notices and penalties imposed after statutory inspections.
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The RBI, relying on existing Supreme Court precedent, maintained that such records were “liable to be disclosed” under the RTI Act after severing exempt portions and asserted that it does not share a fiduciary relationship with regulated entities.
The banks, however, argued before the Commission that disclosure of supervisory information would harm their commercial interests and contended that key aspects of the Jayantilal N Mistry ruling are under reconsideration by the Supreme Court.
In the Axis Bank matter, relating to disclosure of documents connected with a monetary penalty, the Commission noted that similar issues had earlier been held to “need deliberation by a larger bench,” and stayed disclosure in the interim.
In the Citibank NA case, the RBI submitted that deviation from the apex court ruling could invite contempt proceedings. The CIC nevertheless deferred a final decision, directing that “the respondent shall not disclose the sought information to the original RTI applicant till the final disposal of the instant appeal.”
All such matters have been referred to the Chief Information Commissioner for listing before a larger bench. The CIC made it clear that disclosure will remain stayed until final adjudication, with the Supreme Court’s hearing expected to be pivotal to the debate on banking transparency under the RTI law.
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