Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao has asked the Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Mumbai University (MU) to look into the delay in replying to the queries posed by a Right to Information (RTI) activist.
Last week, RTI activist Aakash Vedak had written to the Governor, who is also MU’s Chancellor, seeking a response from the varsity to the information he had sought under provisions of the RTI Act. The Governor’s secretary has directed the VC to “directly communicate” to the activist the action taken by the university on the matter, which dates back to October 2017.
Mr. Vedak, a law student, had sought information on the income earned and expenditure incurred by the university through re-evaluation and photocopying of answer sheets. The university provided information on the income after Mr. Vedak filed an appeal with the State Information Commission (SIC) in December 2017. However, the university did not provide any information on the expenditure.
Then Mr. Vedak filed a second appeal and the SIC in its verdict in April 2018 ordered the MU public information officer to give information about the expenditure by April 28. When the university failed to comply with the order, the activist complained to the SIC again in May. Then the SIC fined the university ₹25,000 and set December 10 as the deadline to provide the information. When the university failed to meet the deadline again, Mr. Vedak knocked on the Governor’s door on December 18.
Mr. Vedak said, “The matter has just been transferred. I was expecting the Governor to respond firmly, but I am glad that he has taken cognisance of the matter. I am hoping that at least now the university shows the courtesy to provide the information.”
In late December, the university approached the SIC and appealed it to review the matter. The SIC has scheduled a hearing into the review appeal on January 18. Mr. Vinod Malale, public relations officer of MU, said, “We had filed a review appeal with the SIC in December. They have given us an opportunity in January. The authorities concerned will give the appropriate response and details to the State Information Commissioner on the set date.”
