Central Information Commission
Ms. Raushani B Upadhyay vs Union Public Service Commission on 28 May, 2013
Central Information Commission, New Delhi
File No.CIC/SM/A/2012/001848 & 1868
Right to Information Act2005Under Section (19)
Date of hearing : 28 May 2013
Date of decision : 28 May 2013
Name of the Appellant : Sh. Hitesh Kumar Rout,
Plot No. 242, Bayababd Matha Lane,
Bhubaneswar 751022
Ms. Raushani B. Upadhyay,
Flat No. 5, 2nd Floor, Bel Heaven, New
Marine Lines, Near Bombay Hospital, M K
Road, Mumbai 20
Name of the Public Authority : Central Public Information Officer,
Union Public Service Commission,
(Sang Lok Seva Ayog) Dholpur House,
Shahjahan Road, New Delhi
The Appellant, Shri Hitesh Kumar Rout was present & Ms. Raushani B.
Upadhyay was not present in spite of notice.
On behalf of the Respondent, the following were present:
(i) Dr. Kulbir Singh, JD & CPIO,
(ii) Shri N.P. Singh, Assistant,
(iii) Shri N.R. Jorwal, SO
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Satyananda Mishra
2. In both these cases, the information sought is the same, namely, the marks secured by the Appellants in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2012, the cutoff marks in each category and the answer keys. The CPIO had CIC/SM/A/2012/001848 & 1868 refused to disclose any such information on the ground that the examination process was not yet over. The Appellate Authority had approved of the stand taken by the CPIO when the Appellants had approached him in first appeal.
3. In the meanwhile, we understand, the UPSC has already uploaded all this information in its website for the candidates to access. Therefore, there is no further information to be disclosed in these cases. However, we continue to be of the view that the UPSC should disclose all such details about the Civil Services Preliminary Examination soon after its completion so that the candidates can find out about their own performance and prepare for the next round, if they wish. By publishing such information nearly one year after the completion of the Preliminary Examination, the UPSC helps nobody. Besides, since the Preliminary Examination is an exercise for elimination and does not contribute to the final outcome of the examination process in any other manner, its results can hardly affect the subsequent stages of the Civil Services Examination. In fact, we had directed the UPSC in the past to disclose such information in our order dated 1 March 2013 (CIC/SM/AA/2012/001599) which has since been stayed by the Delhi High Court in its order dated 10 May 2013 (WP Civil No. 3059/2013 & CM No. 5793/2013).
4. There is no further information to be disclosed in these cases since the entire information has already been disclosed in the website of the UPSC which the Appellants can easily access.
5. Both the appeals are disposed of accordingly.
6. Copies of this order be given free of cost to the parties.
(Satyananda Mishra) Chief Information Commissioner CIC/SM/A/2012/001848 & 1868 Authenticated true copy. Additional copies of orders shall be supplied against application and payment of the charges prescribed under the Act to the CPIO of this Commission.
(Vijay Bhalla) Deputy Registrar CIC/SM/A/2012/001848 & 1868