Whispers Forum

The Appellant sought information regarding the status of the complaint filed at IBBI under section 217 of the Insolvency Bankruptcy Code, 2016 read with Section 7 under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The PIO submitted that the RTI application was rejected at the outset as it was not filed by a citizen but a body corporate. Referring to Section 3 of the RTI Act, the CIC observed that the right to information is available only to the citizens of India and there is no provision for giving information to Corporations, Associations, Companies. As the application was filed by M/s Utility Premises Pvt. Ltd., the second appeal is therefore disposed of as being inadmissible.
Comments
The Department of Personnel & Training published “Guide on the Right to Information Act, 2005” in 2009 which mentioned that if the RTI application were filed by an office bearer of any legal entity, indicating his/her name, in such cases information can be supplied to him / her on the presumption that a citizen has sought the information.
Citation: UPPL Projects Pvt Ltd. v. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), File no.: CIC/IBBIN/A/2022/126256, Date of Decision: 09/02/2023
Dr Anuradha Verma (dranuradhaverma@yahoo.co.in) is a RTI Consultant currently working with IIM Visakhapatnam. She has co-authored the books, RTI Right to Information - Law and Practice and PIO’s Guide to RTI. She offers consultancy on RTI matters and Third party audit. Her other articles can be read at the website of RTI Foundation of India at the link www.rtifoundationofindia.com

The Minister for Education, Australia, Jason Clare is on a visit to India from February 28 to March 4 to foster India-Australia relations in the field of education. India's Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has announced two Australian universities will soon establish campuses in the GIFT CITY of Gujarat. India is encouraging the opening of campuses of reputed foreign universities in India. If this materializes then India can stop brain drain and our students will get better opportunities in their own countries.
Shruti Kumari

Customers of banks using or intending to use locker facilities have received a message from their banks that they need to sign a new agreement on Rs100 stamp paper as per RBI directive. The whole exercise is irrelevant and a waste of customers' and Bank's time. Do we sign an agreement every time we buy a flight or train ticket? All that is required is for RBI to release a press note drawing the attention of current and future bank customers that use of locker facility is governed by the rules and regulations contained in the RBI circular the contents of which are available in RBI/Banks website. Since customers cannot amend these rules but have to comply with them to use lockers this notification should be adequate.
Raghavan