New Delhi: The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to provide “point-wise categorical” information under the RTI Act on expenditure and procurement related to Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations.
Setting aside the CBSE’s earlier denial, the Commission asked it to furnish revised replies, allowing redaction of exempt portions under Section 10 of the RTI Act and directing that any denial under Section 8(1)(d) be properly justified.
The case arose from an RTI application seeking details on answer books used in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 examinations, including specifications, purchase cost, total expenditure, GST payments and tendering processes.
In its initial response, CBSE shared technical details such as paper quality, page count and size of answer books, but denied information on procurement cost, quantity purchased and overall expenditure, citing exemptions under the RTI Act. It also termed tender-related information as “confidential” and “sensitive”.
The appellant challenged the response, arguing that public interest warranted disclosure of procurement and expenditure details.
Information commissioner Sudha Rani Relangi observed that the denial of information on the tender process lacked justification and noted that the Central Public Information Officer did not appear for the hearing or submit a written explanation.
“Accordingly, the impugned reply of the CPIO dated 18.03.2025 in the absence of any justification for denial of the information sought, is hereby set aside,” the CIC said.
The Commission directed the CPIO to revisit the RTI application and provide revised responses with permissible information, while masking exempt portions.
It added that exemptions related to commercial confidence must be applied strictly and justified, particularly in matters of public procurement, to ensure transparency and accountability.
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