Personal information disclosure under RTI Act requires consent; public interest must balance privacy rights.

Order :

NARENDRA KUMAR VYAS, J.

1. Since common question of law and facts are involved in both writ petitions, they are heard together and are being disposed of by this common order.

Writ Petition No. 2759 of 2025

2. Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission has filed this petition against the order dated 16.01.2025 passed by Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (hereinafter referred to Commission) by which S.A. bearing No. A/4396/2024/ Raigarh filed by the respondent No. 2 has been allowed and the Commission has directed the petitioner to provide information relating to the selected candidate Shailesh Kumar Patel regarding his 15 years of teaching or academic experience with grade pay of Rs. 7,000 or 8 years of experience of teaching or academic experience with grade pay of Rs. 8,000/-. The petitioner has also sought certified copy of the Ph.D degree of Shailendra Kumar Patel.

Writ Petition No. 2761 of 2025

3. Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission has filed this petition against the order dated 27.01.2025 passed by Chhattisgarh State Information Commission (hereinafter referred to Commission) by which S.A. bearing No. A/3830/2023/ Raigarh filed by the respondent No. 2 has been allowed and the Commission has directed the petitioner to provide information relating to the selected candidate Shailesh Kumar Patel regarding his 15 years of teaching or academic experience with grade pay of Rs. 7,000 or 8 years of experience of teaching or academic experience with grade pay of Rs. 8,000/-. The petitioner has also sought certified copy of the Ph.D degree of Shailendra Kumar Patel.

4. Brief facts as reflected from the records of both the writ petitions in brief, are that

(a) Public Service Commission (hereinafter referred to PSC) has initiated selection process for appointment of Assistant Registrar in the University wherein Dr. Shailendra Patel was selected on the aforesaid post and the respondent No. 2 was wait list candidate. The PSC after finalizing the examination has forwarded the list of selected candidate to the appointing authority/ Secretary Higher Education Department for appointment. Thereafter, respondent No.2 moved an application on 19.04.2023 wherein he has sought following information which reads as under:-

N0x0 yksd lsok vk;ksx }kjk dqylfpo] mPp f’k{kk gsrq tkjh vafre p;u ifj.kke Øekad 600@12@p;u@2021 jk;iqj fnukad 30-09-21 ds vuqlkj Jh ’kSysUnz dqekj iVsy jksy ua- 2010100003 dk p;u vU; fiNM+k oxZ esa dqylfpo ds in ij gqvk Fkk Jh ’kSysUnz dqekj iVsy }kjk lk{kkRdkj ds le; izLrqr vfuok;Z ;ksX;rk ds laca/k esa fuEufyf[kr tkudkjh iznk; djus gsrq &

¼1½ xzsM osru ¼,-th-ih-½ :i;s 7000 esa 15 o"kZ ds v/;kiu vuqHko vkdknfed xzsM osru :i;s 8000 ;k mlls vf/kd es 8 o"kZ dk vuqHko ftlesa lg izk/;kid ds :i esa v/;kiu rFkk ’kS{kf.kd iz’kklu esa vuqHko ’kkfey gSA bl izek.k i= dk izekf.kr Nk;kizfr

¼2½ okaNuh; ;ksX;rk ih-,p-Mh- dh fMxzh dh izekf.kr Nk;kizfrA mDr nLrkost dh eq>s vko’;drk gSA eSa bl vafre ifj.kke ds vuqiwjd lwph esa ’kkfey gwaA

(b) In WPC No. 2759 of 2025 the respondent No.2 has sought following information which is reads as under:-

1- NRrhlx<- yksd lsok vk;ksx ds foKkiu Øekad 10@2020@ijh{kk@fnukad 12- 121-2020 izdk’ku frfFk 23-12-2020 ,oa tkjh ’kqf) i= Øekad 02@2021@ijh{kk@fnukad 09-02-2021 }kjk foKkfir dqy lfpo ds in dh p;u izfØ;k iw.kZ djus ds Ik’pkr~ tkjh vafre p;u ifj.kke dh izfrA

2- dafMdk 1 esa mYysf[kr foKkiu ds vuqlkj dqylfpo in esa p;fur vH;fFkZ;ksa }kjk vius&vius ;ksX;rk ds leFkZu esa izLrqr lefiZr nLrkost dh izfrA \

(c) The Informat