The Right to Information Act, 2005 (22 of 2005) has been enacted by the Parliament and has come into force from 15 June, 2005. This Act provides for right to information for citizens to secure access to information under the control of public authorities in order to promote transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority. All Universities and Colleges established by law made by Parliament or by State Legislature or by notification by the appropriate Government or owned, controlled or substantially financed directly or indirectly by funds provided by the Government shall come within the meaning of a Public Authority under this Act.

The object of this Act is to make our society open and public authorities more accountable and information must be made available to a private citizen subject to right of privacy and other exemptions provided for.

In terms of Section 5(1) of the Right to Information Act 2005, the under-mentioned officers of this Institute (MET’s School of Architecture and Interior Design) are hereby designated as Public Information Officer (PIO) and Assistant Public Information Officer (APIOs) to give information as per the Right to Information Act, 2005, in respect of the specific subject matter mentioned against their names :

Information officers

Designation	Name (Designation)	Subject Matter	Contact No.
Appealing Officer (PIO)	Ar. Bhalchandra Laxman Chaware (Principal)	All matter relating to the MET’s School of Architecture and Interior Design	0253-2200303
Information Officer (APIO)	Ar. Shailesh Ramesh Devi (Chair of Design)	All matter relating to the MET’s School of Architecture and Interior Design	0253-2200315
Information Officer (APIO)	Mr. Yogesh Rambhau Pawar (Administrative Assistant)	All matter relating to the MET’s School of Architecture and Interior Design	0253-2200302

Procedure for providing the desired information :
For providing the desired information, applicant must fill the form in given format and depending on the nature of information fee will be charged. The APIOs will provide information to the concerned after due approval by the PIO on the relevant file.

FORM A

TO

The Assistant Public Information Officer,

MET’s School of Architecture and Interior Design,

Govardhan, Nashik

1. Full name of the applicant : ____________________________________
2. Address :  ____________________________________
   ____________________________________
3. Particulars of information required
   1. Subject matter of information* ____________________________________       ____________________________________
   2. The period of which the information ____________________________  relates**
   3. The Description of information ________________________________ required***
   4. Whether information is required by _____________________________ post or in person (the actual postal charges shall be included in addition to the fees)
   5. In case by post (ordinary Registered _____________________________ or speed)

 

Place _______________

Dated: ______________                                                        Signature of the applicant

 

*Broad category of the subject to be indicated (such as Grant/Government land/Service matters/Licenses etc.)

**Relevant period for which information is required to be indicated.

***Specific details of the information are required to be indicated.

­­­­­­­­­­_________________________________________________________________________

Acknowledgement

Received your application dated ……………… vide Diary No. ………….. dated ………………….

 

(Signature)

Assistant Public Information Officer:

Name of the Department/Office

 

SOME FAQ ON RTI :

1. What is the implementing structure of the RTI Act?
   1. The Public Information Officer (PIO) is at the first rung.
   2. The officer who is senior in rank in the same Public Authority, is the First Appellate Authority (FAA)
   3. The Information Commission (Central/State as the case maybe), is the second Appellate Authority.
2. Who are Public Information Officers (PIOs)?
   The PIO is an officer designated by a public authority in each of its administrative units or offices to provide information to the citizens requesting for information under the Act. Any officer, whose assistance has been sought by the PIO for the proper discharge of his duties, shall render all assistance and for the purpose of contraventions of the provisions of this Act, such other officer shall be treated as a PIO.
3. What does Right to Information mean? [S.2(j)]
   • It includes the right to —
   • Inspect works, documents, records.
   • Take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records. Take certified samples of material.
   Obtain information in form of printouts, diskettes, floppies, tapes, video cassettes or in any other electronic mode or through printouts.
4. What does information mean under the Act? [S. 2(f)]
   • Information means any material already available with the public authority. The PIO is not required to generate/create information. The PIO is not expected to give any explanation or interpretation of the available data.
   Information may be in any form including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force.
5. Can information be denied? [S. 8)]
   • The PIO can deny information if there is some error in the application process (the fees have not been paid), or if the information being sought is not held, or if the authority to which the application is made is not a ‘public authority’.
   The RTI Act overrides all other Acts and Rules so the PIO cannot withhold information citing another Act.
6. What kind of information is not open to disclosure? [S.8)]
   The following is exempt from disclosure [S. 8)]
   1. Information, disclosure of which would prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, relation with foreign State or lead to incitement of an offence;
   2. Information which has been expressly forbidden to be published by any Court of law or Tribunal or the disclosure of which may constitute contempt of court;
   3. Information, the disclosure of which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament or the State Legislature;
   4. Information including commercial confidential trade secrets or intellectual property, the disclosure of which would harm the competitive position of a third party, unless the competent authority is satisfied that larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information;
   5. Information available to a person in his fiduciary relationship, unless the competent authority is satisfied that the larger public interest warrants the disclosure of such information;
   6. Information received in confidence from foreign Government;
   7. Information, the disclosure of which would endanger the life or physical safety of any person or identify the source of information or assistance given in confidence for law enforcement or security purposes;
   8. Information which would impede the process of investigation or apprehension or prosecution of offenders;
   9. Cabinet papers including records of deliberations of the Council of Ministers, Secretaries and other officers;
   10. 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.
   • Notwithstanding anything in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 nor any of the exemptions permissible in accordance with sub- section (1), a public authority may allow access to information, if public interest in disclosure outweighs the harm to the protected interests
   • Subject to the provisions of clauses (a), (c) and (i) of sub- section (1), any information relating to any occurrence, event or matter which has taken place, occurred or happened twenty years before the date on which any request is made under section 6 shall be provided to any person making a request under that section:
   Provided that where any question arises as to the date from which the said period of twenty years has to be computed, the decision of the Central Government shall be fix subject to the usual appeals provided for in this Act.
7. What is the application procedure for requesting information?
   • Submit a written application to the concerned PIO. The application should be in English or Hindi or in the official language of the area where the application is being made, specifying the particulars of the information sought for. Pay fees as may be prescribed
   • you are seeking, sign it and take a photo (copy) for your record.
   • Send it to the officer from whom you are seeking information. You can also send it by courier, or registered post, in which case it would be useful to keep the acknowledgment.
   Depending on the nature of information you need to know fee will be charged.
8. What happens after you file the RTI application?
   • Within the mandated period of 30 days, one of the following will happen:
   You will get the information you have sought, and are satisfied. The PIO may ask for payment of fees, for providing the information. These costs differ from State to State. In Maharashtra the fees are prescribed as follows:
   1. For A4 size copies or typed information Rs. 2 per page.
   2. For information given on Floppy or CD – ₹ 50.
   3. Maps, books or documents, which have been priced earlier, the price fixed for the same.
   4. For inspection of files or records no charge for the first hour and Rs.5 per every fifteen minutes thereafter.
   5. Postage costs may be charged.