The Supreme Court has postponed the final hearing on two significant Public Interest Litigations (PILs) seeking to bring major political parties under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The petitions aim to promote transparency, enhance accountability, and curb the flow of unaccounted money in electoral processes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar was slated to hear the matters, which were filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an advocacy group, and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay. As the Chief Justice is set to retire on May 13, he indicated that the cases will remain listed and may be taken up on May 15.

The petitioners have urged the Court to declare political parties as ‘public authorities’ under the RTI Act. This classification would legally obligate them to disclose details about their funding and operations, ensuring adherence to electoral norms. Notably, the Central Information Commission has earlier held that political parties should fall within the RTI’s scope, especially amid concerns over opaque funding and alleged misuse of public resources.