The Times of India: Ahmedabad: Friday, 24 July 2026.
The Gujarat State
Information Commission has directed education authorities to protect school
principals and head teachers from alleged harassment through the Right to
Information (RTI) Act, advising them to approach the police in cases where the
law is allegedly misused to pursue personal disputes.
The direction came in a July 16 order while deciding two second appeals involving Vadod Primary Boys School in Dhanera taluka of Banaskantha district. During the hearing, the school’s public information officer and head teacher submitted that RTI applications were being filed by a person on behalf of the head teacher’s brother, with whom the family is involved in an ongoing property dispute.
They informed the commission that several disputes are pending in courts and that repeated RTI applications were being used to harass them and consume the school’s administrative resources.
According to the order, the applicant sought information on 14 points relating to the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25, along with certain information concerning 2025-26. The commission observed that the volume and nature of the information sought imposed a disproportionate burden on the public authority and affected the school’s functioning.
During the hearing, the applicant restricted the request to details of the School Management Committee (SMC). The commission directed the public information officer to provide the names of SMC members within 10 days but denied disclosure of their addresses, mobile numbers, educational qualifications and details of their children, holding that such information was personal and exempt under the RTI Act.
The commission further observed that supervisory education authorities had failed to adequately protect and guide the school head despite allegations of misuse of the RTI process. It directed the district primary education officer to ensure that principals and head teachers receive proper guidance and protection in such cases and, where necessary, inform the competent police authority for appropriate action against persons found misusing the legal process.
The commission also advised RTI applicants to seek specific information in a manner that does not disproportionately burden the resources of public authorities.
The direction came in a July 16 order while deciding two second appeals involving Vadod Primary Boys School in Dhanera taluka of Banaskantha district. During the hearing, the school’s public information officer and head teacher submitted that RTI applications were being filed by a person on behalf of the head teacher’s brother, with whom the family is involved in an ongoing property dispute.
They informed the commission that several disputes are pending in courts and that repeated RTI applications were being used to harass them and consume the school’s administrative resources.
According to the order, the applicant sought information on 14 points relating to the financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25, along with certain information concerning 2025-26. The commission observed that the volume and nature of the information sought imposed a disproportionate burden on the public authority and affected the school’s functioning.
During the hearing, the applicant restricted the request to details of the School Management Committee (SMC). The commission directed the public information officer to provide the names of SMC members within 10 days but denied disclosure of their addresses, mobile numbers, educational qualifications and details of their children, holding that such information was personal and exempt under the RTI Act.
The commission further observed that supervisory education authorities had failed to adequately protect and guide the school head despite allegations of misuse of the RTI process. It directed the district primary education officer to ensure that principals and head teachers receive proper guidance and protection in such cases and, where necessary, inform the competent police authority for appropriate action against persons found misusing the legal process.
The commission also advised RTI applicants to seek specific information in a manner that does not disproportionately burden the resources of public authorities.
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