The CIC had, in June 2013, passed a landmark order that declared the six national political parties to be “public authorities” since they are not only substantially funded by public money, but as institutions “directly or indirectly influence exercise of governmental power.” Besides there is an entire culture of secrecy, opacity, untimely and inadequate reporting of their financial dealings to the Election Commission. The full bench of CIC thought this would be corrected if the parties were brought within the ambit of the RTI Act. The order stated: “It would be odd to argue that transparency is good for all State organs but not so good for Political Parties, which, in reality, control all the vital organs of the State.”