CENTRAL INFORMATION COMMISSION

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Old !N" Ca#$us% Ne& 'el(i ) **++,-
Tel. /0*)**)1,*,*-0,
'ecision No2 CIC3S43A31+**3+++5,53*1561
A$$eal No2 CIC3S43A31+**3+++5,5
Rele7ant Facts e#erging fro# t(e A$$eal.
Appellant : Mr. V. R. Sharma
LW Commissioner (C),
Ordinance Factory oard, !"#a,
S$ ose Road, $ol%ata#&""""! (W..)
Respondent : Mr. 'ra%ash (amra%ar
)nder Secretary * C'+O,
Ministr8 of Labour 9 E#$lo8#ent%
4o7t2 of India
Shram Sha%ti ha-an, Ra.i Mar/
0e1 2elhi#!l"""!
R(+ application .iled on : 3"4!"43"!"
'+O replied : !54!!43"!"
First appeal .iled on : !64!343"!"
First Appellate A7thority order : 354"!43"!!
Second Appeal recei-ed on : !54"343"!!
Infor#ation soug(t b8 t(e a$$ellant.
ACR o. C.L.S o..icers contains 5 pa/es only. Certain o..icers add a lar/e n7m8er o. pa/es in their ACR9s
ha-in/ details o. the 1or% they ha-e done d7rin/ the year. S7ch additional pa/es are part o. part ++ o.
the ACR9s. Copies o. these additional pa/es are not re:7ired. $indly s7pply copies o. .ollo1in/
doc7ments4ACR9s .or the rele-ant years 8ased on 1hich these o..icers /ot promotion to /rade +++.
$indly pro-ide all ; <=ARS#ACR9s o. the .ollo1in/ o..icers (e>cept additional pa/es added 8y them)
sent4.or1arded4s78mitted 8y the Ministry o. La8o7r to 2.'C. .or their promotion to /rade +++ o.
C.L.S. 'lease also indicate 1hen 2'C WAS ?=L2 FOR 'ROMO(+0@ (?=S= OFF+C=RS (O
@RA2= !!!#please /i-e dates.
0ame o. the o..icers are as .ollo1s#
(!) AA@ MORA0 S?ARMA.
(3) 2=V=RA(A S+0?A.
(B) 'RA$AS? =0AAM+0.
(6) @.RAMA RAO.
(;) M.'.S.S?+V$)MARSWAM+.
(C) A.A. @+LA0+.
(&) LALLA0 S+0@?.
(5) $.2.SA?A.
(D) '.'.SAR$AR.
(!") S.0A@RAA.
(!!) @.@O'AL
(l3) $.SA0WAR<A.
(!B) @.M.$A2WA0.
'a/e ! o. 6
(l6) (.$.RAO.
(!;) S?R+ 0AR=S? C?A02RA.
(!C) .$.?+S=
(!&) SM(.MAR<. C. AA+$AR.
Cost o. photocopy comes to Rs#!C4# per ACR (5 'a/es per year E 3)E; yearsFRs 5"4# per person. Rs 5"
E !& F !BC"4# G Rs !"4# R(+ .ee (otal#Rs !B&"4#
+'O o. -al7e Rs.!B&"4# enclosed .or s7pply in.ormation 8y re/istered post at .ollo1in/ address#
V.R.S?ARMA,LW Commissioner ( c) ,Section A4LW, 6 Floor,R.0o#B,Ay7dh ha-an ,OR20A0C=
FAC(OR< OAR2,!"#A, S.$. OS= Road.$OL$A(A#&""""!(W..)
PIO Re$lied .
i) Anne>ed
ii) With re/ard to s7pply o. copies o. the ACRs o. the !& @r. +V CLS o..icers on the 8asis o. 1hich
they 1ere promoted to @r. +++, it is mentioned that see%in/ personal in.ormation o. other o..icers
1hich 1o7ld ca7se 7n1arranted in-asion o. their pri-acy and has no relationship to p78lic acti-ity
or interest, can not 8e s7pplied 74s 5(!)(A) o. the R(+ Act, 3"";.
4rounds of t(e First A$$eal.
Appellant is not satis.ied.
Order of t(e FAA.
H!. (he appellant has no1 s78mitted an appeal dated !64!343"!" (recei-ed in this Ministry on 3".!3.3"!")
7nder R7le !D(!) o. R(+ Act, 3""; mentionin/ that he has not 8een .7rnished the re:7ired in.ormation.
3. + ha-e e>amined the matter and .o7nd that the C'+O has ri/htly denied the in.ormation 7nder section
5(!)(I) o. the R(+ Act, 3"";. (he appellant is entitled to /et the in.ormation re/ardin/ the /radin/ o. his
ACR 87t not o. the other o..icers.
B. (he appeal is th7s disposed o... +. the appellant is a//rie-ed 8y this order, second appeal a/ainst the
decision shall lie 1ithin ninety days .rom the date o. this Order, 1ith the Central +n.ormation Commission
7nder Section !D(B) o. the R(+ Act, 3"";.J
4round of t(e Second A$$eal.
(he appellant 1as not satis.ied.
Rele7ant Facts e#erging during :earing.
(he .ollo1in/ 1ere present:
A$$ellant . Mr. V. R. Sharma on -ideo con.erence .rom 0+C#$ol%ata St7dio,
Res$ondent . Mr. 'ra%ash (amra%ar, )nder Secretary * C'+O,
(he appellant has so7/ht the ACRs o. !& O..icers and the '+O has re.7sed to /i-e this in.ormation
claimin/ e>emption 7nder Section 5(!)(I) o. the R(+ Act. (he FAA has also 7pheld the decision o. the
'+O.
)nder Section 5 (!) (I) o. the R(+ Act, in.ormation 1hich has 8een e>empted is de.ined as:
information which relates to personal information the disclosure of which has no relationship to
any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the
individual unless the Central Public Information Officer or the State Public Information Officer or
the appellate authority, as the case may be, is satisfied that the larger public interest justifies the
disclosure of such information: !
(o :7ali.y .or the e>emption 7nder Section 5(!)(I) o. the R(+ Act, the in.ormation m7st satis.y the
.ollo1in/ criteria:
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!. +t m7st 8e personal in.ormation: Words in a la1 sho7ld normally 8e /i-en the meanin/ /i-en in
common lan/7a/e. +n common lan/7a/e, 1e 1o7ld ascri8e the adIecti-e KpersonalK to an attri87te
1hich applies to an indi-id7al and not to an instit7tion or a Corporate. (here.ore, it .lo1s that
KpersonalK cannot 8e related to instit7tions, or/anisations or corporates. ?ence Section 5(!)(I) o. the
R(+ Act cannot 8e applied 1hen the in.ormation concerns instit7tions, or/anisations or corporates.
3. (he phrase Kdisclos7re o. 1hich has no relationship to any p78lic acti-ity or interestK means that
the in.ormation m7st ha-e 8een /i-en in the co7rse o. a p78lic acti-ity. Vario7s p78lic a7thorities in
per.ormin/ their .7nctions ro7tinely as% .or KpersonalK in.ormation .rom citiLens, and this is clearly a
p78lic acti-ity. '78lic acti-ities 1o7ld typically incl7de sit7ations 1herein a person applies .or a Io8,
or /i-es in.ormation a8o7t himsel. to a p78lic a7thority as an employee, or as%s .or a permission,
licence or a7thorisation, or pro-ides in.ormation in dischar/e o. a stat7tory o8li/ation.
B. (he disclos7re o. the in.ormation 1o7ld lead to 7n1arranted in-asion o. the pri-acy o. the
indi-id7al. (he State has no ri/ht to in-ade the pri-acy o. an indi-id7al. (here are some e>traordinary
sit7ations 1here the State may 8e allo1ed to in-ade the pri-acy o. a citiLen. +n those circ7mstances
special pro-isions o. the la1 apply 7s7ally 1ith certain sa.e/7ards. (here.ore 1here the State
ro7tinely o8tains in.ormation .rom citiLens, this in.ormation is in relationship to a p78lic acti-ity and
1ill not 8e an intr7sion on pri-acy.
Certain h7man ri/hts s7ch as li8erty, .reedom o. e>pression or ri/ht to li.e are 7ni-ersal and there.ore
1o7ld apply 7ni.ormly to all h7man 8ein/s 1orld1ide. ?o1e-er, the concept o. Kpri-acyK is a c7lt7ral
notion, related to social norms, and di..erent societies 1o7ld loo% at these di..erently. (here.ore re.errin/
to the 2ata 'rotection Act, !D55 o. ). $. or the la1s o. other co7ntries to de.ine Mpri-acy9 cannot 8e
considered a -alid e>ercise to constrain the citiLen9s .7ndamental ri/ht to in.ormation in +ndia. 'arliament
has not codi.ied the ri/ht to pri-acy so .ar, hence, in 8alancin/ the ri/ht to in.ormation o. citiLens and the
indi-id7alKs ri/ht to pri-acy, the citiLenKs ri/ht to in.ormation 1o7ld 8e /i-en /reater 1ei/hta/e.
+n the instant case, there is no do78t that the in.ormation so7/ht is HpersonalJ in.ormation inasm7ch as it
is the Ann7al Con.idential Report o. a /o-ernment o..icer. (he ACR is a report that e-al7ates the 1or%
and per.ormance o. a p78lic ser-ant. (he p78lic a7thority concerned, m7st necessarily ha-e this
in.ormation so to ma%e an assessment o. its o..icers9 per.ormance. (he ACR, containin/ certain
in.ormation a8o7t the o..icer is disclosed 8y the o..icer to the p78lic a7thority and s7ch report is prepared
8y the p78lic a7thority. (his is necessarily done in the co7rse o. a p78lic acti-ity. 2isclos7re o. s7ch
in.ormation cannot 8e constr7ed as 7n1arranted in-asion o. pri-acy o. the o..icer concerned as it
concerns iss7es raised in the e>ercise o. his p78lic acti-ity as a p78lic ser-ant. Moreo-er, a p78lic ser-ant
is acco7nta8le to the p78lic and there.ore, e-ery citiLen has the ri/ht to o8tain in.ormation that may assess
his credi8ility, inte/rity and per.ormance.
+t is pertinent to mention that the S7preme Co7rt o. +ndia in "nion of India v# $%& in Appeal (Ci-il) !&5
o. 3""! and W. '. (Ci-il) 3D6 o. 3""! decided on "34";43""3, o8ser-ed that persons 1ho aspire to 8e
p78lic ser-ants 8y /ettin/ elected ha-e to declare inter alia their property details, any con-iction4 ac:7ittal
o. criminal char/es, etc. +t .ollo1s that persons 1ho are already p78lic ser-ants cannot claim e>emptions
.rom disclos7re o. char/es a/ainst them or details o. their assets. @i-en o7r dismal record o.
mis/o-ernance and rampant corr7ption 1hich coll7des to deny citiLens9 their essential ri/hts and di/nity,
it is imperati-e .or achie-in/ the /oal o. democracy that the citiLens9 ri/ht to in.ormation is /i-en /reater
primacy 1ith re/ard to pri-acy.
(here.ore, disclos7re o. in.ormation s7ch as property details, any con-iction4 ac:7ittal o. criminal
char/es, etc o. a p78lic ser-ant, 1hich is ro7tinely collected 8y the p78lic a7thority and pro-ided 8y the
p78lic ser-ants, cannot 8e constr7ed as an in-asion o. the pri-acy o. an indi-id7al and m7st 8e pro-ided
an applicant 7nder the R(+ Act. Similarly, citiLens ha-e a ri/ht to %no1 a8o7t the stren/ths and
'a/e B o. 6
1ea%nesses as 1ell as per.ormance e-al7ation o. all p78lic ser-ants. (he /o-ernment is elected 8y the
citiLens o. +ndia and it is the d7ty o. s7ch /o-ernment thro7/h its o..icers to protect the ri/hts o. the
citiLens. (he salary o. s7ch /o-ernment o..icers is also paid .rom the p78lic e>che:7er. For these reasons,
e-ery citiLen has the ri/ht to %no1 and o8tain in.ormation a8o7t the per.ormance o. e-ery p78lic ser-ant
or /o-ernment o..icer to ascertain 1hether the d7ties entr7sted to s7ch p78lic ser-ant or /o-ernment
o..icer are 8ein/ carried o7t.
+t 1o7ld not 8e o7t o. place to mention that the terminolo/y HAnn7al Con.idential ReportJ has 8een 7sed
since the ritish times 1hen Msecrecy9 1as the /7idin/ notion .or the /o-ernment and conse:7ently, the
1or% done 8y the latter 1as not .or the citiLens9 per7sal and %ept con.idential. (his 1as e-idenced 8y the
enactment o. the O..icial Secrets Act, !D3B. O-er the years, this trend has 7nder/one a drastic chan/e
inasm7ch as the +ndian I7diciary reco/nised the citiLen9s ri/ht to ha-e access to in.ormation 7nder the
control o. /o-ernment entities in order to 8rin/ a8o7t transparency and acco7nta8ility in the .7nctionin/
o. e-ery /o-ernment department. (his 1as /i-en a stat7tory rati.ication 8y 1ay o. the Ri/ht to
+n.ormation Act, 3"";, 1hich reco/nised the citiLen9s .7ndamental ri/ht to in.ormation. (he R(+ Act
endea-o7rs to do a1ay 1ith the notion o. Msecrecy9 1hich 1as pre-alent in the ritish era and carried
.or1arded therea.ter inasm7ch as Section 33 o. the R(+ Act speci.ically pro-ides that the R(+ Act shall
o-erride the O..icial Secrets Act, !D3B irrespecti-e o. any inconsistency contained in the latter.
+n -ie1 o. the .ore/oin/ ar/7ments this Commission holds that per.ormance appraisals,# %no1n as ann7al
con.idential reports since the days o. ritish RaI,# are not co-ered 8y Section 5(!)(I) o. the R(+ Act and
disclos7re o. these cannot 8e constr7ed as in-asion on the pri-acy o. an indi-id7al.
'ecision.
(he Appeal is allo1ed.
(he '+O is directed to pro-ide the in.ormation so7/ht 8y the Appellant to him
8e.ore !" A7ne 3"!!.
(his decision is anno7nced in open cham8er.
0otice o. this decision 8e /i-en .ree o. cost to the parties.
Any in.ormation in compliance 1ith this Order 1ill 8e pro-ided .ree o. cost as per Section &(C) o. R(+ Act.


S(ailes( 4and(i
Infor#ation Co##issioner
*; Ma8 1+**
(In any correspondence on this decision, mention the complete decision number.) (MC)
'a/e 6 o. 6