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2018 DIGILAW 556 (JHR)

Jharkhand Public Service Commission v. State Of Jharkhand

2018-03-08

ANUBHA RAWAT CHOUDHARY

body2018
JUDGMENT Anubha Rawat Choudhary, J. – Heard Mr. Sanjoy Piprawall, counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner-Jharkhand Public Service Commission. 2. Heard Mr. Rupesh Singh, counsel appearing on behalf of the respondent no.3. 3. Heard Mr. Vishal Kr. Rai, AC to SC-IV appearing on behalf of the respondent no.1. 4. This writ petition has been filed by the writ petitioner challenging the order dated 15.05.2007 passed by Chief Information Commissioner of Jharkhand Information Commission in Appeal No.191 of 2007 as contained in Annexure-7 to the writ petition. By the said order the Chief Information Commissioner has directed the information sought for by the respondent no.3 to be given by the petitioner. The petitioner submits that the information which was sought for by the respondent no.3 relates to the list of entire candidates who were applicants in the First Primary Trained Teacher Recruitment Examination conducted by the petitioner-Jharkhand Public Service Commission on 27.05.2003. As per the application, the list of the applicants as well as the entire merit list of successful and unsuccessful candidates has been sought for by the applicant (respondent no.3 herein) with respect to the District of Deoghar. 5. Counsel for the petitioner submits that the information sought for by the respondent no.3 cannot be shared by Jharkhand Public Service Commission under the provisions of Right to Information Act, 2005 particularly in view of the fact that the same is relating to not only the persons who were successful but also relates to those who were participants but unsuccessful. Furnishing of such details is not in public interest and the same is likely to be in conflict with other public interests including the preservation of confidentiality of such sensitive information which relates to persons having participated but remained unsuccessful. 6. Counsel for the petitioner submits that so far as the furnishing of information of the list of candidates who were declared successful, the petitioner has no objection to furnish that information to the respondent no.3. The counsel further submits that the list of successful candidates was duly published in the news paper alongwith the corresponding Roll Numbers and accordingly, they are ready to furnish so far as the list of successful candidates is concerned. 7. Counsel for the petitioner submits that such direction would be appropriate in the light of the judgment dated 20.02.2018 passed by Hon''ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No(s) 6159-6162 of 2013. 7. Counsel for the petitioner submits that such direction would be appropriate in the light of the judgment dated 20.02.2018 passed by Hon''ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No(s) 6159-6162 of 2013. By referring to the aforesaid judgment, counsel for the petitioner submits that it has been held in para 10 thereof as follows: "Weighing the need for transparency and accountability on the one hand and requirement of optimum use of fiscal resources and confidentiality of sensitive information on the other, we are of the view that information sought with regard to marks in Civil Services Exam cannot be directed to be furnished mechanically. Situation of exams of other academic bodies may stand on different footing. Furnishing raw marks will cause problems as pleaded by the UPSC as quoted above which will not be in public interest. However, if a case is made out where the Court finds that public interest requires furnishing of information, the Court is certainly entitled to so require in a given fact situation. If rules or practice so require, certainly such rule or practice can be enforced. In the present case, direction has been issued without considering these parameters." 8. Counsel for the petitioner also submits that where information is likely to conflict with the other public interests including efficient operation of the Government, optimum use of fiscal resources and preservation of confidentiality of the sensitive information and accordingly the Right to Information cannot be applied in the given facts and circumstances. He further submits that revealing of information in connection with those candidates who ultimately could not succeed in the examination is a very sensitive information and accordingly, he submits that direction to give such information to the respondent no.3 may not be issued. Counsel for the petitioner by referring to the supplementary-affidavit which has been filed by the petitioner on 20.02.2018 has mentioned that the list of the candidates is available in a compact disk which contains the consolidated list of successful and unsuccessful candidates of Deoghar district. There is no separate C.D. maintained for Deoghar district. Counsel for the petitioner by referring to the supplementary-affidavit which has been filed by the petitioner on 20.02.2018 has mentioned that the list of the candidates is available in a compact disk which contains the consolidated list of successful and unsuccessful candidates of Deoghar district. There is no separate C.D. maintained for Deoghar district. The counsel for the petitioner has also produced a print out of the list which is there in the compact disk and upon perusal of the same, it appears that the said list contains the marks obtained by all the candidates including the unsuccessful candidates and accordingly, the counsel for the petitioner submits that the information given in the compact disk cannot be handed over to the respondent no.3 as that will amount to disclosing the information including marks etc. of the unsuccessful candidates which is very sensitive and such order cannot be passed. 9. Counsel for the respondent no.3, on the other hand submits that the judgment which is relied upon by the petitioner which has been passed by the Hon''ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No(s).6159-6162 of 2013 does not apply to the facts and circumstances of this case and he submits that the application which was filed by the respondent no.3 relates to the entire panel of the candidates and the entire merit list prepared by the petitioner irrespective of the fact whether they were successful or not successful in particular with reference to Deoghar district only. 10. Counsel for the respondents further submits that disclosure of the names of the candidates who were unsuccessful is not a sensitive information and accordingly, appropriate order was passed by the Chief Information Commissioner, Jharkhand and the same is not in conflict with the said judgment passed by Hon''ble Supreme Court. He submits that the impugned order does not call for any interference by this Court. 11. After hearing the counsel for the parties and after considering the facts and circumstances of this case and the aforesaid judgment dated 20.02.2018 passed by Hon''ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No(s) 6159-6162 of 2013, which has been relied upon by the writ petitioner, this Court finds that the respondent no.3 is entitled to the information being the list of successful candidates alongwith the Roll Numbers, which according to the petitioner was already published in the news paper. 12. 12. But so far as the list of unsuccessful candidates is concerned, this Court is of the considered view that such information is a very sensitive information and maintaining the balance between the Right to Information and the confidentiality of the information, this Court finds that disclosure of information regarding unsuccessful candidates should not be made to the respondent no. 3 . 13. So far as the information regarding unsuccessful candidates is concerned, if any of such case is filed by the petitioner regarding the recruitment process, it will certainly be open to the petitioner to satisfy the concerned Court for calling for any information from Jharkhand Public Service Commission as may be required for the purposes of adjudication of the case. 14. In view of the findings recorded, this Court directs the petitioner Jharkhand Public Service Commission to furnish the information regarding the list of candidates with their Roll Numbers who were declared successful and whose results were duly declared in the news paper within a period of one month from the date of receipt of a copy of this order. Accordingly the order dated 15.05.2007 passed by Chief Information Commissioner of Jharkhand Information Commission in Appeal No.191 of 2007 as contained in Annexure-7 to the writ petition is set-aside to the extent it relates to information in connection with unsuccessful candidates and it is upheld only to the extent it relates to the information regarding the list of candidates with their Roll Numbers who were declared successful and whose results were duly declared in the news paper. 15. With the aforesaid observations and directions, the writ petition is partly allowed.