Central Information Commission
M. Karthick vs Semi Conductor Laboratory (Scl) on 4 July, 2025
Author: Heeralal Samariya
Bench: Heeralal Samariya
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/SCLAB/A/2024/619529
Shri M. Karthick ... अपीलकताग/Appellant
VERSUS/बनाम
PIO, ...प्रनतवािीगण /Respondent
Semi Conductor Laboratory (SCL)
Date of Hearing : 01.07.2025
Date of Decision : 01.07.2025
Chief Information Commissioner : Shri Heeralal Samariya
Relevant facts emerging from appeal:
RTI application filed on : 20.11.2023
PIO replied on : 21.12.2023
First Appeal filed on : 28.03.2024
First Appellate Order on : 29.04.2024
2ndAppeal/complaint received on : 09.05.2024
Information soughtand background of the case:
The Appellant filed an RTI application dated 20.11.2023 seeking information on following points:-
1) "Please inform the action taken on the ATTACHED request dated 23 August 2023, signed by me (5 No 26) which has been sent to Secretary Meity several times through email. The request was endorsed by Director SCL office with number 1775 dated 24 August 2023, and was also forwarded to Secretary Meity many times as Secretary Meity is chairman of the management council.
2) Minister-in-charge MEITY has sent a note to Secretary MEITY, with diary number 21530-607 dated 16-Sep-2023, upon the request of ISRO/IIST deployed scientists at SCL, which includes myself. Please provide a copy of this note recieved by Secretary Meity from Minister, and also provide copy of all the file notings till date. 2a) Please inform me what action has been taken by Secretary MEITY on this note sent by the Minister.
2b) Please inform me what action has been taken by MEITY authorities (Addl Secretary, Joint Secretary, Under Secretary) on this note sent by the Minister.
2c) Please inform what action has been taken by SCL authorities (Director SCL, Controller SCL, P&GA SCL, Administration) on this note sent by the Minister.
3) Secretary Meity is also the Chairman, MC-SCL Mohali. Please provide official contact details (email, phone and address) of the Page 1 Chairman Management Council SCL, and the names of the officials of the Chairman office.
4) Please provide the names of the vigilance authorities (CVO) for SCL Mohali as on 6 Feb 2022 and after 7 Feb 2022 and as on today.
5) Secretary Meity is also the Chairman, MC-SCL Mohali. Please inform how many meetings have been chaired by Chairman MC-SCL Mohali after 1 January 2022. Also inform the dates and excerpts of the minutes of all meetings after 1 January 2022, regarding DOS and ISRO deployed category of manpower at SCL which includes IIST/ICRB. Please note that the complete-minutes of meeting are not exempted under any clause of RTI act. Any non-disclosure by Meity or SCL has to be approved under rules of RTI act. Hence, the excerpts related to IIST/ICRB discussions should be shared for all MC meetings after 1 January 2022."
The CPIO, Semi Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Punjab vide letter dated 21.12.2023 replied as under:-
"..Para 4: Chief Vigilance Officer in respect of Semi-Conductor Laboratory as on 06.02.2022 was Shri Sanjeev Kumar Narang, ITS. Chief Vigilance Officer in respect of Semi-Conductor Laboratory as on 21.12.2023 is Smt Kavita Bhatia, Scientist "G", MeitY. Para 5: The information sought is exempted from disclosure as per the voluntary disclosure made under Section 4 (1) (b) (viii) of the RTI Act, 2005 by SCL on its website, the composition of SCL Society and SCL Management Council as mentioned therein has been disclosed and the Agenda/Minutes thereof are not open/accessible to public..."
Dissatisfied with the response received from the CPIO, the Appellant filed a First Appeal dated 28.03.2024. The FAA vide order dated 29.04.2024 upheld the reply of CPIO.
Aggrieved and dissatisfied, the Appellant approached the Commission with the instant Second Appeal.
Written submission dated 23.06.2025 has been received from the CPIO and same has been taken on record for perusal.
Facts emerging in Course of Hearing:
Appellant: Not present Respondent: Mr. Manoj Kumar Wadwa CPIO/Scientist Engineer SG- participated in the hearing through video-conferencing.
The Respondent reiterated the averments made in their written submission and stated that the relevant information has been duly provided to the Appellant. He stated that the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) is a Strategic Unit under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India. He averred that SCL is the only Integra Device Manufacturing Facility in the country providing end-to-end solutions for Page 2 Development of Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICS), Opto-
electronics devices, and Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) Devices encompassing Design, Fabrication, Assembly, Packaging, Testing, and Reliability Assurance. He further stated that the appellant had filed a total of 13 RTI applications in the last 2 years seeking information on the subject matter and by and large, all relevant and available information concerning the employment status of employees in SCL has already been provided to the appellant against multiple other RTI applications filed by him. Further, it is also informed that the subject matter is presently under consideration/examination of the Competent Authority at various forums/levels i.e. Department of Space / Indian Space Research Organization and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and that has also been informed to the Appellant.
Decision:
Keeping in view the facts of the case and the submissions made during hearing, the Commission observes that as submitted by the PIO the relevant information concerning the employment status of employees in SCL has already been provided to the Appellant against multiple other RTI applications filed by him. Commission notes that the matter relating to employment status of employees is presently under consideration/examination of the Competent Authority at various forums/levels i.e. Department of Space / Indian Space Research Organization and Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and that has also been informed to the Appellant.
Furthermore, the Commission of the view that information on routine administrative matters such as agenda and minutes of meetings should be suo motu disclosed on the website of the public authority unless it pertains to a subject matter which is exempted from disclosure as per any of the provisions listed under the RTI Act, 2005.
Accordingly, the Respondent public authority is advised to suo motu disclose complete details of number of meeting/ agenda of meetings/minutes of the meetings in compliance of Section 4 (1) (b) (viii) of the RTI Act, 2005, on its website to ensure transparency, objectivity and accountability in the functioning of the Public Authority. While proactively disclosing the information mentioned above, due caution should also be exercised by the Respondent to strictly adhere to the provisions of the RTI Act and redact any information which falls under the purview of the Section 8 and 9 of the RTI Act. No further action lies. The appeal is disposed off accordingly.
Heeralal Samariya (हीरालाल सामररया) Chief Information Commissioner (मुख्य सूचना आयुक्त) Page 3 Authenticated true copy (अनिप्रमानणत सत्यानपत प्रनत) S. K. Chitkara (एस. के . नचटकारा) Dy. Registrar (उप-पंजीयक) 011-26186535 Page 4 Recomendation(s) to PA under section 25(5) of the RTI Act, 2005:-
1. It is recommended to improve upon following provision(s) of suo-motu disclosure in compliance with clause (b) of sub-section(1) of section 4 of the RTI Act, 2005:
(i) a statement of the boards, councils, committees and other bodies consisting of two or more persons constituted as its part or for the purpose of its advice, and as to whether meetings of those boards, councilscommittees and other bodies are open to the public, or minutes of such meetings are accessible for public.
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