Three years after the RTI Act...

JJ Institute refuses to share info under RTI; says it could endanger lives of lecturers

A second year Bachelor of Fine Arts (SYBFA) student of Sir JJ Institute of Applied Arts, Fort, was refused an answer to his RTI application that sought the enquiry committee's report on lecturers who failed six (FYBFA) students in June 2008. Suryakant Bhalerao, the information officer of the college, said he had explained why the information the student sought could not be given.
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"I have responded in writing to the RTI application. I could not share the information they sought because provisions in clause 8 of the RTI Act 2005 state that any information that could pose a threat to someone's life should not be disclosed."

Incidentally, the mentioned enquiry committee formed on directives of the Directorate of Art declared the six students passed in October 2008, after they approached the directorate and requested it to get their answer sheets rechecked.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

What the RTI u00a0application sought?u00a0

The RTI application seeks
1) An attested copy of the report of the three-member enquiry committee that investigated why the mentioned students were failed.
2) A copy of report on the question asked by the committee to the concerned student and lecturers, and their responses, which was submitted to the Directorate of Art.
3) Attested copies of answer sheets of the failed students after they were checked by lecturers

Response by the informationu00a0

Bhalerao refused the first two requests on the grounds that making the information public may endanger the lives of the lecturers concerned. Responding to the third request, Bhalerao said, the students would have to approach the University of Mumbai to get copies of the answer sheets.

u00a0"See, I cleared my first year BFA with a first-class. I just want to know on what basis I had been failed by my lecturers," said the student.