JUDGMENT

SANJEEV NARULA, J. (Oral):

1. The Petitioner filed an online RTI application with the Public Information Officer, [“PIO”] of Jamia Millia Islamia University, [“JMIU”] – Respondent No. 3 on 26^th March, 2019, inter-alia seeking access to PhD thesis titled as ‘Studies on some nitrogen fixing genes of Azotobacter vinelandii’, [“PhD thesis”] authored by a scholar, Mr. Umesh Kumar Bageshwar. In response, the PIO, vide response dated 14^th April, 2019, merely forwarded the reply dated 10^th April, 2019, of the Librarian of the University which stated that “the said thesis has been put in absolute safe custody of the Librarian by order of the competent authority of the University,” without providing any response to the request as regards access to the PhD thesis. Dissatisfied, the Petitioner filed a first appeal which also was rejecte