Seeking information regarding recommendation for Padma Shree Award
4 Feb, 2013Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) seeking information on the persons who recommended Dr. Amit Mitra for the Padma Shree Award from the Government of India and who received the Award under Trade and Industry in Delhi, India. The Public Information Officer (PIO) informed that as per record retention schedule, the recommendations for Padma Awards are kept in record for one year only. Thus, the information cannot be provided. Regarding the names of the recommending authority, he denied the information under section 8(1)(j) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, there shall be no obligation to give any citizen, information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the disclosure of such information: Provided that the information which cannot be denied to the Parliament or a State Legislature shall not be denied to any person. of the RTI Act.
Proceedings
During the hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC), the appellant stated that she is interested in getting a copy of the recommendation made by her husband who was now deceased. She also request that any information on record of the MHA regarding recommendations made may be provided to her.
View of CIC
The Commission directed the PIO to provide information regarding recommendations if any made for conferment of Padma Shri Award by appellant’s husband, if available in the records of the MHA.
Citation: Mrs. Purnima Dutta Gupta v. Ministry of Home Affairs in Case No. CIC/SS/A/2012/002640
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/1017
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission