KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN Vs. CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners have filed this petition seeking to quash the order/judgment dtd. 14/2/2017 passed by the Central Information Commission, New Delhi in CIC/C/A/2014/000289-SA, whereby, the Commission directed the Public Information Officer, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, petitioner No.3 herein, to furnish the complete and truthful information point-wise to Pushpa Devi, respondent No.2 herein, as sought by her under the Right to Information Act.

(2.) The instant writ petition came to be filed on 1/6/2017 and the matter was heard on 2/6/2017 on the question of admissibility of petition. Thereafter, on the said date, notice was also issued to the respondents. However, none appeared on behalf of respondent-Pushpa Devi. The matter was admitted to hearing on 8/9/2017 and post-admission notice was issued to the respondents. Since none appeared on behalf of respondent-Pushpa Devi even after issuance of post-admission notice, as such vide order dtd. 4/2/2022 the matter was directed to be proceeded exparte. Accordingly, the matter was heard finally on 14/10/2022 in absence of respondent-Pushpa Devi and kept reserved for pronouncement of judgment.

(3.) The facts leading to filing of present petition are that respondent-Pushpa Devi filed two applications before the Public Information Officer, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, petitioner No.3 herein, under the Right to Information Act seeking to provide copies of all the complaints lodged against one Mr. Vijay Kumar, Principal, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chamba since the date of his joining. However, the Public Information Officer vide communication dtd. 1/3/2014 declined to provide the said information on the ground that the information sought for qualifies as personal information within the meaning of provisions of Sec. 8(1)(j) of the Act. Feeling aggrieved, respondent-Pushpa Devi filed an appeal before the Central Information Commission, which came to be allowed on 14/2/2017 with a direction to the Public Information Officer, petitioner No.3 herein, to furnish the complete and truthful information point-wise to respondent-Pushpa Devi as sought by her under the Right to Information Act. Hence, the present petition against the order of Central Information Commissioner.