Right : By introducing the Right to Information Act, 2005 has been provided a powerful tool/medium by the Indian Parliament to get information to every Indian citizen. Almost all the administration related subjects are covered under this Act.
Purpose : The basic objective of this Act is to empower Indian citizens, increase transparency and accountability in the functioning of the government body and control corruption and make democracy responsible to the people. This Act is an important step towards getting information about the procedures of government and government institutions.
Definition : Information means records such as documents in electronic form, e-mails, press releases, orders, logbooks, contract related document, memorandum, official papers, data, etc on all items might be directly accessible to the public authority which comes under the Right to Information Act 2005.
Fundamentals of Right To Information Act 2005
Under this Act, every citizen has right to take certified photocopies of documents and records under the authority or control of the Public Information Officer but it is important to note only that information can be provided under it which is available already or under the control of the public officer. Public Information Officer is unexpected to answer hypothetical questions and creation of information.
1) If such information is already stored through any computer or any other medium, in the same situation/case, a citizen is right to ask information in the form of print out from public information officer through diskette, floppy, tape, video cassette, pen drive or any other electronic medium. The information sought by the applicant should be given in the original form in which the information is sought by him, but if the information specifically sought may lead to improper use of resources under the Public Information Officer or if there is a possibility of any kind of damage in security or conservation of records from that process, then information can be denied in that form.
Fee/ Charges for Information: It is mandatory for the solicitant who seeking information from HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal to attach a Demand Draft or Postal Order to the Central Public Information Officer / Registrar in the form of information fee along with the application. The fee can also be paid through a challan at the cash counter of the university. The solicitant will also have to pay a fee in addition to the information received fee, the full information of which will be given by the concerned Public Information Officer as prescribed under the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Regulation of Fees and Costs), which will be as per the rules.
1) Two rupees (Rs. 2 / -) per page (A4 or A3 size) per photocopy.
2) Actual cost price per photocopy in large size paper.
3) Actual cost of samples or models 4) Fifty rupees per diskette or actual cost of floppy and pen drive for information given in diskette or floppy or pen drive.
Public Information Officer will not charge any fee to every citizen for inspection of records for the first one hour in office hours. But after that five rupees will be charged per hour or any part thereof.
For such applicants who are below the poverty line, no fee will be payable from such solicitant but if the said applicant has not attached any certificate against his claim, then in such situation pay a fixed fee of ten rupees or in the absence of proof of below poverty line, such request letters under the Right to Information Act 2005 will not be valid.
Application Format :
There is no prescribed format of request letter for obtaining information. The application can be done on a plain paper. It is mandatory to sign the request letter along with the prescribed fee and the full address name of the solicitant. If any information is sought by electronic medium, it is mandatory to mention the name and address of the solicitant.
Information regarding dispatch Period :
Under the general procedure under the section of Public Information Act 2005, information will be dispatched to the solicitant within 30 days of receipt of the request letter by the Public Information Officer. If the desired information or information is related to the life or liberty of the requester, in those circumstances the information will be dispatched to the solicitant within 48 hours after receiving the request letter.
Appeal :
If information is not dispatched to the solicitant within the prescribed time period of 30 thirty days or forty-eight hours or the solicitant is not satisfied with the information sent, the solicitant may appeal to the first appellate officer, who is senior in rank to the level of Public Information Officer Is of. Such an appeal should be filed within a period of thirty days from the date of expiry of the period of thirty days from the date of providing the information or from the date on which the information or decision is received from the Public Information Officer. The appeal will be disposed of within thirty days of the receipt or forty-five days in special cases of the appeal by the Appellate Officer of the Public Information Officer.
If the first appellate officer fails to pass the appellate order within the stipulated period or the applicant does not resolve the problem in question by the order of the first appellate officer, then the applicant from the date on which the first appellate officer was to be decided or had received by solicitant, actually the applicant can file second appeal within 90 days in the Central Information Commission in New Delhi.
Correspondence Address of Right to Information Cell :
Right to Information Cell
Administrative Building
H.N.B.Garhwal University
Srinagar Garhwal Uttarakhand
246174
Email: Oincharge_rti@yahoo.com
Website: www.hnbgu.ac.in
Correspondence Address for First Appeal :
First Appellate Officer
Room No. : 24
Right to Information Cell
H.N.B.Garhwal University
Srinagar Garhwal Uttarakhand
246174
Email: ypsundriyal@gmail.com
Correspondence Address for Second Appeal :
Central Information Commissioner
Central Information Commission
Room No. : 413, Fourth Floor,
Baba Gangnath Marg, Munarika,
New Delhi 110 067