The court upheld that personal information related to individuals is exempt from disclosure under the RTI Act unless larger public interest is proven.

JUDGMENT

1. The Petitioner has approached this Court with the following prayers:-

“i) Direct the respondent-1 to provide the following information to the petitioner as under :

a) Qualifications and passing Institute /university of individual executives being recruited at induction level in PFCL during the period from the year 2010 to 2015.

b) Certified copy of the approved Man-power Requirements Budget for executives.

c) Certified copy of the Agreement/ Memorandum of understanding between PFCL and its Subsidiaries for outsourcing the recruitment for executives at the induction level and deployment.

ii) Set aside order dated 1st November, 2019 passed by the Ld Chief Information Commissioner.

iii) Pass such order (s) as the Hon’ble Court may deem fit and proper on the facts and in the circumstances of the case.”

2. The instant writ petition arises out of an application dated 24.06.2014 filed by the Petitioner under the Right to Information Act with the Public Information Officer of the Power Finance Corporation Limited stating that the Corporation has witnessed manifold increase in the strength of its manpower over the last five years which attributed to its massive recruitment of executives at the induction levels and the following information was sought:-

“The Corporation has witnessed a manifold increase in the strength of its men-power over the last 5 years which attributed to its massive recruitment, of the executives done at the induction level (El) and therefore, the information related to the Corporation in this regard may kindly be provided as under:

(i)Certified Copy of the Recruitment Policy on the Executives

(ii)Certified Copy of the Manpower Requirement Budget for Executives

(iii)A total number of executives at the induction level have been recruited during the last 5 years (i.e. from the year 2010 to 2015) with detailing their Name, Qualifications, Name of the Passing Institute/university and their present posting in the corporation.”

3. A reply was given by the CPIO, Power Finance Corporation Limited on 10.07.2015, which reads as under:-

4. The Petitioner was not satisfied with the said reply and, therefore, filed an appeal under the RTI Act. The Appellate Authority vide Order dated 28.08.2015 dismissed the appeal filed by the Petitioner. Thereafter, the Signature Not Verified Digitally Signed W.P.(C) 2210/2020 Page 3 of 8 Petitioner filed a second appeal. The CIC vide Order dated 28.10.2016 directed the Respondent herein to file a supplementary reply to satisfy the query raised by the Petitioner. The supplementary reply was filed before the CIC and ultimately vide Order dated 22.06.2017, the CIC disposed