Using RTI to get information regarding suicides committed by IIT students
15 Feb, 2013
Background
The appellant filed an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, seeking information relating to suicides committed by IIT students since the inception of IIT. The Public Information Officer (PIO) 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 stating that it was of personal nature and that there was no larger public interest involved.
Proceeding
During the hearing before the Central Information Commission (CIC), the PIO referred to the earlier decision of the CIC (CIC/SM/A/2010/001086) wherein it was held that the number of individuals who had committed suicide may be disclosed without sharing the personal information.
View of CIC
The Commission directed the PIO to provide the number of students who had committed suicide in the IIT to without providing the personal information.
Citation: Mr. Sanjiva v. IIT in File No. CIC/DS/A/2011/004488/RM
RTI Citation : RTIFI/2013/CIC/1048
Click here to view original RTI order of Court / Information Commission