Law grad seeks RTI info, Gujarat varsity responds: Prove citizenship

In response to her application, the Public Information Officer (PIO) of the university’s examination branch on December 3 stated, “The information sought under the Right to Information Act, 2005, Section 6 gives right to citizens of India to seek information. It is requested that you prove that you are an Indian citizen. After getting proof of your Indian citizenship, the process for giving information will be considered.”

Himanshu Pandya, the Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University (GU), told The Sunday Express, “As this matter is limited to the PIO, and I have not seen the application and its response, I cannot comment. But it is certain that we do not practise like this (this is not common practice).”

The applicant told The Sunday Express that suspecting discrepancies in the internal assessment marks, she had filed the RTI application seeking details first from her college. After receiving an “unsatisfactory” response from the college, she filed a similar application with the Gujarat University. “I believe that the internal assessment marks sent by the college and what has been announced by the university are not the same,” she said.

Nagori adding that she is a gold medallist and in the 60th annual convocation of the Gujarat University in January, she was awarded four gold medals for her exemplary performance in five semesters.

“I am an advocate myself, there is no clause in the Constitution or the (RTI) Act where you have to prove your Indian citizenship for filing an RTI application. I am going to challenge this in the High Court,” Nagori said.

The response, dated on December 3, from the GU, which Nagori received on Friday, ends with an “important note” stating: “The Indian citizenship proof can be submitted citing the case number in person at the given address or be sent through mail…”

The information sought by her under RTI includes the total number of students who have taken the exam, among them how many took it offline and online, if online and offline marks were evaluated differently or under a similar evaluation pattern, copy of mark sheets of all students’ internship assessment marks sent to the Gujarat University by the college along with details of the examination pattern, among others.