PART B: RTI Act, 2005

Sub: Disclosure of personal information under the RTI Act:

The
Central Information Commission in one of its decisions (Sh. Manoj Arya
vs. CPIO, Cabinet Secretariat: CIC/SIRS/P/2013/000058 of 25.06.13) has
held that information about the complaints made against an officer of
the Government and any possible action the authorities might have taken
on those complaints, qualifies as personal information within the
meaning of provision of section 8 (1) (j) of the RTI Act, 2005.

The
Central Information Commission while deciding the said case has cited
the decision of Supreme Court of India in the matter of Girish R.
Deshpandevs. CIC and others (SLP (C) no. 27734/2012) in whichit was held
as under:-

“The performance of an employee/Officer in
anorganisation is primarily a matter between theemployee and the
employer and normally those aspects are governed by the service rules
which fall under the expression personal information, the disclosure of
which has no relationship to any public activity or public interest. On
the other hand, the disclosure of which could cause unwarranted invasion
of the privacy of that individual.” The Supreme Court further held that
such information could be disclosed only if it would serve a larger
public interest.