New Indian Express: Thiruvananthapuram: Wednesday, 16 July
2025.
The CIC ruled that to deny information, it is important the denial should be as per the provisions of the Act.
After dragging its feet on
a Central Information Commission directive, the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute
of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) has finally decided to furnish
information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act about the decisions taken
during its governing body and institute body meetings since July 2020.
It was in December 2023 that the SCTIMST first turned down an RTI query seeking a copy of the minutes of its governing body (GB) meetings number 107 to 113 as well as of the institute body (IB) meetings since July 2020. The applicant had cited doubts regarding the transparency of decisions taken by the two top bodies of SCTIMST after a new director assumed office in 2019, as the reason for filing the query.
However, SCTIMST’s central public information officer (CPIO) denied providing the information sought, citing the institute’s GB and IB had earlier resolved that response could be given only to an RTI query that relates to “a particular or relevant issue”. Dissatisfied, the applicant filed an appeal with SCTIMST’s First Appellate Authority (FAA). It was not adjudicated, prompting the applicant to approach the CIC.
“I informed the CIC that the CPIO denied information sought without invoking any exemption clause, which constituted a gross violation of the RTI Act,” the applicant told TNIE. The CIC ruled that to deny information, it is important the denial should be as per the provisions of the Act.
“Also, if any of the exemption clauses mentioned under Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, 2005, is claimed, the respondent (SCTIMST) is required to provide justification or establish the reason why such exemption was claimed,” the CIC’s May 15 order said.
The CIC also directed SCTIMST to take necessary steps for “suo motu disclosure of maximum information on its website”, related to the minutes of the GB meeting in compliance with the provisions of Section 4 of the RTI Act.
This, it said, was important to promote “transparency and accountability” in functioning of the public authority.
On appeal, the FAA said the information sought was “general in nature”, which also contained “exempted third party information”.
Now, with the second applicant also gearing up to approach the CIC, SCTIMST has changed tack.
“The governing body/institute body of SCTIMST has reversed its 2022 decision and has now decided to provide details of the minutes of the meetings of both bodies. It will also be published on the website. Since the data relates to voluminous information of over five years, the process is presently under way,”
Easwer H V, the SCTIMST CPIO, told TNIE. He added that since certain information mentioned in the minutes relate to personal information of the institute’s personnel, it will be weeded out before being provided to the RTI applicants and published in the website.
The CIC ruled that to deny information, it is important the denial should be as per the provisions of the Act.
 |
| The applicant had cited doubts regarding the transparency of decisions taken by the two top bodies of SCTIMST |
It was in December 2023 that the SCTIMST first turned down an RTI query seeking a copy of the minutes of its governing body (GB) meetings number 107 to 113 as well as of the institute body (IB) meetings since July 2020. The applicant had cited doubts regarding the transparency of decisions taken by the two top bodies of SCTIMST after a new director assumed office in 2019, as the reason for filing the query.
However, SCTIMST’s central public information officer (CPIO) denied providing the information sought, citing the institute’s GB and IB had earlier resolved that response could be given only to an RTI query that relates to “a particular or relevant issue”. Dissatisfied, the applicant filed an appeal with SCTIMST’s First Appellate Authority (FAA). It was not adjudicated, prompting the applicant to approach the CIC.
“I informed the CIC that the CPIO denied information sought without invoking any exemption clause, which constituted a gross violation of the RTI Act,” the applicant told TNIE. The CIC ruled that to deny information, it is important the denial should be as per the provisions of the Act.
“Also, if any of the exemption clauses mentioned under Sections 8 and 9 of the RTI Act, 2005, is claimed, the respondent (SCTIMST) is required to provide justification or establish the reason why such exemption was claimed,” the CIC’s May 15 order said.
The CIC also directed SCTIMST to take necessary steps for “suo motu disclosure of maximum information on its website”, related to the minutes of the GB meeting in compliance with the provisions of Section 4 of the RTI Act.
This, it said, was important to promote “transparency and accountability” in functioning of the public authority.
On appeal, the FAA said the information sought was “general in nature”, which also contained “exempted third party information”.
Now, with the second applicant also gearing up to approach the CIC, SCTIMST has changed tack.
“The governing body/institute body of SCTIMST has reversed its 2022 decision and has now decided to provide details of the minutes of the meetings of both bodies. It will also be published on the website. Since the data relates to voluminous information of over five years, the process is presently under way,”
Easwer H V, the SCTIMST CPIO, told TNIE. He added that since certain information mentioned in the minutes relate to personal information of the institute’s personnel, it will be weeded out before being provided to the RTI applicants and published in the website.
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