Do self- financed institutions come under the purview of RTI Act?
12 Feb, 2013Years after the Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU), Kochi, issued orders stating that all its affiliating colleges come under the ambit of RTI Act, the paradox about whether the affiliating colleges and the self- financed institution come under the purview of the Act is still prevalent.
MGU had issued an order in 2006 assigning the principals and the office superintendents/administrative officers of the affiliated colleges which included self- financed (SF) institutions as Public Information Officers (PIO) and Assistant Public Information Officers (APIO).
In July, 2012 the principal of Sree Narayana Guru Institute of Science and Technology, Ernakulam, an SF college, had provided information under the Right to Information (RTI) Act after being directed by the joint registrar and PIO of MGU. But replying to a follow up application in 2013, another joint registrar replied that the university could not direct unaided/SF institutions to provide information as they don’t come under the purview of RTI Act.