Central Information Commission
Aftab Alam Khan vs Aligarh Muslim University on 15 July, 2022
CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015
के ीयसूचनाआयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबागंगनाथमाग,मुिनरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई द ली, New Delhi - 110067
िशकायत सं या / Complaint No. CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015
In the matter of:
Aftab Alam Khan ... िशकायतकता/Complainant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO, ... ितवादीगण /Respondent
Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh-202002
Relevant dates emerging from the Complaint:
RTI Application filed on : 31.12.2020
CPIO replied on : 04.02.2021
First Appeal filed on : 10.02.2021
First Appellate Authority order : Not on Record
Complaint received on : 18.03.2021
Date of Hearing : 12.07.2022
The following were present:
Complainant: Absent (despite being served the hearing notice)
Respondent: Mr. Hasseb Baig, Section Officer and then CPIO, AMU,
participated in the hearing through video conferencing from NIC Aligarh.
Page 1 of 6
CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015
ORDER
Information Sought:
The Complainant filed an online RTI application dated 31.12.2020 seeking information on the following four points:
"Subject: Application under RTI Act, 2005 regarding General Selection Committe for the appointment of Professors and Associate Professor held in the Department of Physics at AMU on 27th November, 2020 wherein Professor S. K. Singh a (retired professor of the department of Physics, AMU) sat as an EXTERNAL subject expert.
Kindly provide the following informations.
1) Which clause of the UGC regulations regarding the appointment of External subject expert permits to call a retired professor of the same department as an EXTERNAL subject expert?
2) Under which clause can a person having a long association with a place, still drawing a pension from that place after having retired be treated as an EXTERNAL?
3) Will it not jeopardise the criterion of unbiased and fair selection process due to conflict of interests if such a person is made to sit in place of an external?
3) What actually is meant by an EXTERNAL subject expert?
4) In how many other General Selection Committes in the Department of Physics, AMU, has Professor S. K. Singh sat as an EXTERNAL subject expert?"
Shri Haseeb Baig, CPIO, Office of the Registrar, Selection Committee Section - Teaching, AMU, Aligarh vide letter dated 04.02.2021, informed to the Complainant as under:
Being dissatisfied, the Complainant filed a First Appeal dated 10.02.2021, which has not been adjudicated by the First Appellate Authority as per available records.Page 2 of 6
CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015 Grounds for Complaint:
The Complainant filed a Complaint u/s 18 of the RTI Act on the ground of unsatisfactory reply furnished by the Respondent.
Submissions made by Complainant and Respondent during Hearing: The Complainant did not participate in the hearing despite being served the hearing notice.
The respondent submitted that adequate information, as available in their records, have been given to the Complainant vide letter dated 10.02.2021. The contents of the same are as under:Page 3 of 6
CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015 He further added that information with respect to point no. 4 of the RTI Application is not maintained in their office.
A written submission has been received by the Commission from Mr. Hasseb Baig, Former CPIO, Registrar's Office, Selection Committee, Section Teaching, AMU, vide letter dated 06.07.2022, wherein the Commission has been apprised as under:
Decision:
Upon perusal of the facts on record as well as on the basis of the proceedings during the hearing, the Commission observes that the instant matter is a complaint filed under Section 18 of the RTI Act. Hence, the only adjudication required to be made by the Commission is to determine if the information has been denied with a mala fide intention or unreasonable cause to the information seeker. Since the Respondent has provided adequate information to the Complainant, no mala-fide can be attributed against the Page 4 of 6 CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015 Respondent. Hence, the Commission finds no further scope of intervention in the instant matter.
With the above observations, the complaint is disposed of. Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
The complaint, hereby, stands disposed of.
Amita Pandove (अिमता पांडव) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयु ) दनांक / Date : 15.07.2022 Authenticated true copy (अिभ मािणत स यािपत ित) R. P. Grover (आर. पी. ोवर) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26105027 Page 5 of 6 CIC/ALMUV/C/2021/610015 Addresses of the parties:
1. The First Appellate Authority (FAA) Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh-202002
2. The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh-202002
3. Mr. Aftab Alam Khan Page 6 of 6