RTI application is not tenable in respect of information available on website of public authority
Central Information Commission (CIC): CIC has held that, “Once information is made public it cannot be said to be held by or under the control of public authority in terms of section 2(j) of the RTI Act, because then the citizens have direct access to such information.” CIC was responding to an appeal wherein it was alleged that information rendered by CPIO, Staff Selection Commission, Karnataka-Kerala Region regarding recruitment of Assistant Grade III in General Depot, Technical and Account Cadres and Hindi posts (AG II and Typist) in FCI examination, 2012 was “incorrect and incomplete”. Earlier the appellant had approached the Staff Selection Commission seeking certain information (rank list, cut off marks, list of appointed candidates, marks secured by her in compute proficiency test etc.) in the said examinations. It was contended by the appellant that CPIO had denied providing some of the information on the ground that it was available on website. The applicant further submitted that it is her right to get the information from the public authority irrespective of the fact whether such information is available on the public domain or not. This contention of the applicant was rejected by the Commission which held that public authority has already made the said information public by placing it on their website. (Reshmi C.K. v. Staff Selection Commission, Karnataka-Kerala Region, Case No. CIC/SM/A/2013/000853¬SS, decided on April 21, 2014)
https://www.lawweb.in/2014/04/rti-application-is-not-tenable-in.html
