Difficulty in Collating Information not Valid ground for denying access to Information under RTI Act: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has reaffirmed the principles of transparency enshrined in the Right to Information Act, 2005, stating that difficulty in collating information is not a valid ground for denying access to the information.

Justice Subramonium Prasad said that public authorities cannot refuse information merely because it is not readily available in one place or would take time to compile.

The court said that the objective of the RTI Act is to promote transparency in government operations, and this objective cannot be undermined by the state government citing the voluminous nature of the information sought.

Video thumbnail

The case stemmed from an RTI application filed by Probhjot Singh Dhillon seeking details about disciplinary actions taken by the Delhi government’s Education Department against teachers conducting private tuitions in the national capital.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) had directed the Delhi government to provide the requested information, noting the “cavalier attitude” of the Public Information Officer (PIO) in handling the application.

READ ALSO  High Court Directs Bar Council to Ensure that Advocates Don’t Wear Gown and Band During Strikes

Rejecting the Delhi government’s plea challenging the CIC’s order, Justice Prasad said that disciplinary proceedings against teachers, whether in government or aided schools, must be disclosed to the public. He said that even if the information is not consolidated in one place, efforts must be made to collate and provide it to the applicant.

Also Read

READ ALSO  Being Rude to a Woman and Not Behaving in a Chivalrous Manner Won’t Amount to Outraging Modesty U/Sec 509 IPC: Delhi HC

The court noted that information regarding penalties imposed on teachers for conducting private tuitions in both government and private schools should be accessible to the public. It stressed that the government must endeavour to gather and furnish the requested information.

Consequently, Justice Prasad directed the Delhi government to furnish the information sought by Dhillon regarding disciplinary actions against teachers in both government and private schools for conducting private tuitions.

READ ALSO  दिल्ली हाईकोर्ट ने जीडी गोयनका स्कूल को ऑटिज्म से पीड़ित बच्ची को दाखिला देने का आदेश दिया, कहा– समावेशी शिक्षा का असली उद्देश्य 'अपनापन' है
Ad 20- WhatsApp Banner

Law Trend
Law Trendhttps://lawtrend.in/
Legal News Website Providing Latest Judgments of Supreme Court and High Court

Related Articles

Latest Articles