Action taken on recommendation for admission in Springdale School
20 May, 2013Background
The appellant claimed that the consultant to the Speaker of Lok Sabha had written a letter to the Principal of the Springdale School recommending admission of two students to that school. Later, he filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Lok Sabha Secretariat seeking to know the action taken on that letter. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed that no action was required to be taken on that letter.
Proceedings
During the hearing the before Central Information Commission (CIC), the appellant submitted that the said school had taken no action on this. The respondent stated that the Lok Sabha Secretariat had no information on this since there was nothing that it could do in the matter.
View of CIC
The Commission observed that a private school was not under any obligation to accede to such recommendations and such recommendations generate hope in the mind of the individual concerned that it would bear fruit and the school would admit the students. The CIC noted that private schools follow their own admission procedure, which is sometimes under the supervision of Superior Courts and therefore, no student can be admitted merely on the recommendation of some high level authority hence such recommendations should be disregarded. The Commission rejected the appeal ruling that there is no information to be disclosed in the case.
Comments
Private schools follow their own admission procedure. Should senior dignitaries write to private institutes to recommend the interest of an individual? Does such an action border on immoral or illegal behaviour?
Citation: Mr. Nardev Singh Tyagi v. Lok Sabha Secretariat in File No. CIC/SM/A/2012/001390
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/1294
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission