CIC Raps AMU Over Delay in Providing Class XI Admission Test Information

Delivering a significant decision (Decision No. CIC/SG/A/2008/00217/1489 dt. 4th Feb 2009) bound to open up the examination system at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) veiled in artificial secrecy, Information Commissioner, Shri Shailesh Gandhi, directed the Public Information Officer (PIO) to provide the information on points under contention before 15th Feb 2009.
It is worth mentioning that the information seeker Mr Nishit Sharma, resident of Gurdwara Road, Aligarh, had asked for information relating Class XI admission test conducted by AMU for the session 2008-09. The applicant had requested for main and waiting list for Class XI together with the names, roll numbers, marks obtained, rank of the candidates in the said list, cut off merit, criteria for selection, copy of question booklet of the series attempted by him, copy of both sides of the OMR sheet, test centres at which the selected candidates had appeared etc.
The RTI application was filed on 6/10/2008 under Life and Liberty clause and the PIO Mr Wajid Ali in his reply dt. 10/10/2008 had denied most of the information sought. The First Appellate Authority Mr Rizwan ur Rehman had not even replied.
Appearing the CIC, PIO claimed that now the information has been supplied to the applicant on 29/1/2009 . The PIO claimed that all the desired information had been supplied to the applicant while on two points related to providing of main and waiting list, he had avoided provising information by stating that it was "very voluminous".
The PIO was able to give no reason for delay and the CIC warned him that his actions invite penal provisions of Section 20(1). Pronouncing his decision, CIC Shri Shailesh Gandhi, found the First Appellate Authority Mr Rizwan ur Rehman guilty of gross dereliction of duty, since he had not bothered to take cognizance of the First Appeal. He was also warned by the Commission to do his duty diligently.