CIC fines top B-school for not giving information

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi University’s (DU) Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) for not furnishing information sought by an RTI applicant.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on Delhi University’s (DU) Faculty of Management Studies (FMS) for not furnishing information sought by an RTI applicant.

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The application — filed by a Nitesh Duhan, a student who stood first in the FMS written test last year but could not secure admission — asked for information on the written test, group discussion, extempore and personal interview marks of all the candidates who were admitted to the MBA programme.

The CIC’s decision to levy a penalty could have far reaching consequences for B-school admissions as many aspirants may start filing RTIs at the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other institutes covered under the RTI Act.

FMS — among the top rated management institutes in the country — was served a showcause notice by the CIC last month for withholding data even a year after the application was filed (April 9, 2008).

On Thursday, the commission translated its words into action by levying a fine of Rs 25,000 — the maximum penalty allowed under the RTI Act — on the institute’s Public Information Officer and Dean J K Mitra.

Mitra refused to comment. “Unfortunately, I haven’t received a copy of the judgment yet and so it won’t be appropriate to say anything,” he said.

The case has, however, pushed the institute to take the decision to disclose the marks break up of all admission seekers in future.