Central Information Commission
Rahul Sahu vs Guru Ghasidas Vishvidyalaya, Bilaspur on 6 June, 2024
के न्द्रीय सूचना आयोग
Central Information Commission
बाबा गंगनाथ मागग,मुननरका
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munirka
नई दिल्ली, New Delhi - 110067
नितीय अपील संख्या / Second Appeal No. CIC/GGVBP/A/2020/679661
ADJUNCT DECISION
Rahul Sahu ... अपीलकताग/Appellant
VERSUS
बनाम
CPIO:
Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, ...प्रनतवािीगण/Respondents
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
Relevant dates emerging from the appeal:
RTI : 04.05.2020 FA : 07.06.2020 SA : 27.07.2020
Hearing : 17/11/2021&
CPIO : Not on record FAO : Not on record
04.06.2024
Date of Decision: 06.06.2024
CORAM:
Hon'ble Commissioner
_ANANDI RAMALINGAM
ORDER
1. The instant matter is being pursued in furtherance of the following order:
Information sought:
The Appellant filed an online RTI application dated 04.05.2020 seeking information regarding the recruitment of Assistant Professor in the dept. of Mechanical Engg, Advt. No 105/Rec/Adm/2019 dated 03.06.2019, the result of which was declared on 15/11/2019, including inter-alia;Page 1 of 8
1. The interview marks given by each member of the interview panel to me. (Member wise).
2. The maximum marks on which the above marks are given.
3. The total interview marks given to me.
4. The marks added to my profile other than the interview.
5. Marks given to me based on my experience.
6. Marks given to me based on my M.tech.
7. Xerox copy of the final evaluation sheet, which shows all the marks allocated to me, based on which my merit was determined.
8. The maximum interview marks given any candidate. (all categories).
9. Xerox copy of the final merit list. (all categories).
10. Xerox copy of the final merit list, showing the separate marks of interview (in all categories).
11. Xerox copy of the final merit list. (OBC).
12. Final marks calculation (based on which their merit was decided) of the selected candidates only. (all categories) and its Xerox copy.
13. The number of Ph.D degree holders who attended the interview.
Having not received any response from the CPIO, the appellant filed a First Appeal dated 07.06.2020. FAA's order, if any, is not available on record.
Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the non-receipt of information, appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Relevant Facts emerging during Hearing on 17.11.2021:
The following were present: -
Appellant: Present through video-conference.
Respondent: Abhijeet Tiwari, AR & PIO present through video-conference.Page 2 of 8
The Appellant stated that he is aggrieved by the fact that no reply and information has been provided to him till date.
The PIO tendered his regrets for not having provided any reply to the RTI Application and submitted that due to the nationwide lockdown imposed since March 2020, the RTI Applicant could not be replied to and upon resuming office, due to the pandemic induced under staffing, the pendency of the instant RTI Application did not come into their notice until receipt of the hearing intimation from the Commission.
Decision:
The Commission at the outset takes grave exception to the fact that prima-facie no efforts were made by the Respondent office to ascertain the pendency of the RTI Applications once the office resumed functioning after the nationwide lockdown thereby causing unwarranted obstruction to the Appellant's right to information which is in grave violation to the provisions of RTI Act.
Therefore, the CPIO is hereby directed to file his written submission to show - cause as to why action should not be initiated against him under Section 20 of the RTI Act for no reply to the Appellant. If any other person is responsible for such delay then the present CPIO, GGVBP is directed to file his/her written submission as well, along with his written submission and supporting documents. The said written submission should reach the Commission within 30 days from the date of receipt of this order.
Now, considering the prayer of the Appellant, the CPIO is further directed to provide a point wise reply along with relevant available information in response to instant RTI Application, free of cost to the Appellant through speed post and email at his given email id.
The aforesaid direction shall be complied by the CPIO within 15 days from the date of receipt of this order under due intimation to the Commission.
The CPIO is also cautioned to ensure that he takes a stock of all the pending RTI Applications post the lockdown period till now and respond to the same expeditiously.Page 3 of 8
The appeal is disposed of accordingly.
Hearing Proceedings on 04.06.2024:
2. On behalf of the respondent Shri Abhijeet Tiwari, Assistant Registrar, attended the hearing through video conference.
3. The respondent while defending their case inter alia submitted that they had complied with the Commission's directions and had provided point-wise information vide letter dated 03.12.2021. The CPIO submitted the following written explanations:
"उउउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउ 04.06.2024 उउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउ उउ उउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउ 17.11.2021 उउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउ, उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउ उउउ उउउउउउउ उउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउ उउउ 427 उउउउउउउउ, 271 उउउउउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउउ 112 उउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउउउण, उउउउउ, उउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ, उउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउ उउ एक उउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउ उउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउ (उउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ कर उउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउउ), Page 4 of 8 उउउउउउउउउउउ उउउ (उउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउउ उउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ पर उउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउ) उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउ 2020 उउउ 2021 उउउ उउउउउउउ उउ उउउउ अलग अलग उउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउ उउ उउउउउउउउ उउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउ उउउउउउ, उउउउउउ उउ ओझल उउउउ उउउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउउ उउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउउ एक उउउउउउ उउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउ उउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउउ उउ उउउउ उउउउउउउ 2916/उउउउ/उउउउउ/2021 उउउउउउ 03.12.2021 उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ कर उउ गई उउ उउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउ 2038/उउउउ/उउउउउ/2024 उउउउउउ 31.05.2024 उउ उउउउउउ उउउउउ उउ एक उउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउ गई उउ (उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउउउ उउ) उउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउ उउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउउ / उउउउउउउउउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ उउ उउउ, उउउउउ उउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउ यह उउ उउउउउउ उउउउ उउ उउ उउउउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउ उउ समय उउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउ उउउ उउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउउउउउउ उउ उउउउउउ उउ उउउउ उउउउउउउउउ/उउउउउउउउउ / उउउउउउउउउ उउ समय उउउउ उउउ उउउउउउउउ उउउउ उउउउउउउ"
The information provided by the CPIO on 03.12.2021 is reproduced as under:
Page 5 of 8"1. With reference to point No. 01, the desired information in total 11 pages is annexed at Annexure OA. .
With reference to point No. 02, the interview was conducted with maximum marks of 100
3. With reference to point No. 03, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A
4. With reference to point No. 04, no marks were added to your profile other than interview as there is no provision for the same in the AICTE Regulations 2019 for selection of Assistant Professors.
5. With reference to point No. 05 no additional marks were added for experience other than interview as there is no provision for the same in the AICTE Regulations 2019 for selection of Assistant Professors.
6. With reference to point No. 06 no additional marks were added for M.Tech other than interview as there is no provision for the same in the AICTE Regulations 2019 for selection of Assistant Professors.
7. With reference to point No. 07, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A . With reference to point No. 08, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A 8 9. With reference to point No. 09, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A
10. With reference to point No. 10, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A
11. With reference to point No. 11, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A
12. With reference to point No. 12, the information is included in documents provided at annexure A 13. With reference to point No. 13, a total 44 candidates were called for interview having PhD degree."
4. The Commission after adverting to the facts and circumstances of the case, hearing the respondent and perusal of records, observes that the respondent submitted his written explanations justifying that the delay caused in complying with the Commission's Page 6 of 8 directions was on account of shortage of staff and manpower during COVID period. The CPIO further pleaded that the non-response to the reminders or other communications sent by the Commission was due to non-receipt of the same as well as his inability to track the communications under pressing circumstances of the pandemic when he was handling additional charge of the Legal Cell as well as that of CPIO. The Commission also takes serious note of the lapse on the part of CPIO, that a copy of their reply dated 03.12.2021 sent to the appellant was not marked to the Commission, despite clear instructions in the Commission's order dated 17.11.2021 that the reply ought to have been given to the appellant under intimation to the Commission. Although, the CPIO has complied with the Commission's directions, the Commission expresses its displeasure over the fact that the CPIO had attended the hearing before the Commission on 17.11.2021 and failed to act promptly in pursuance to the Commission's directions. However, the CPIO prayed that there was no mala fide intention for the delay caused and was purely administrative in nature. Taking a lenient view, the Commission takes on records the explanations submitted by the CPIO. However, the Commission cautions the CPIO to timely and diligently dispose applications/appeals, in consonance of provisions of the RTI Act, in future. Therefore, the show cause notice issued to the CPIO is dropped. Accordingly, the appeal is disposed of.
Copy of the decision be provided free of cost to the parties.
(Anandi Ramalingam) (आनंिी रामललंगम) Information Commissioner (सूचना आयुक्त) दिनांक/Date: 06.06.2024 Authenticated true copy Col S S Chhikara (Retd) कनगल एस एस निकारा, (ररटायर्ग) Dy. Registrar (उप पंजीयक) 011-26180514 Addresses of the parties:
Page 7 of 81. CPIO (Under RTI Act) Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, RTI Cell, C.G, Koni, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh-495009.
2. Rahul Sahu Page 8 of 8 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
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