MS University ordered to reveal info on selection of assistant professors

  • | Monday | 19th June, 2017

The commissioner hearing the case, K Ramanujam, observed that MSU could not show any norms which made the other details confidential. The university will now have to furnish information regarding the marks secured by the selected candidate in both interviews and the minutes of meeting of the committee which framed the selection norms. "It is odd that the university considers the recruitment of teaching staff confidential. CHENNAI: The Tirunelveli-based Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) has been asked by the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) to furnish details pertaining to interviews held in October and November 2016 to select new faculty members. But disclosure of the performance of the selected candidate and Nalini was necessary to show the transparency of the process, noted the order.

CHENNAI: The Tirunelveli-based Manonmaniam Sundaranar University (MSU) has been asked by the Tamil Nadu State Information Commission (TNSIC) to furnish details pertaining to interviews held in October and November 2016 to select new faculty members. The University has been cricitised by the commission for stonewalling information under the RTI and directed to pay 2,000 to the petitioner as compensation for the same.The vacant posts were for assistant professors in the commerce and management studies department. The university will now have to furnish information regarding the marks secured by the selected candidate in both interviews and the minutes of meeting of the committee which framed the selection norms. In addition to this, details of the RTI applicant's (a candidate) performance will also have to be provided, the commission directed.The case pertains to an RTI application in November 2016 by G S Nalini, who had demanded 12 items of information regarding the interviews. She had demanded information such as list of applicants, those eligible for the interview, candidates interviewed, details of publications.After the university failed to replied to Nalini's RTI application and her first appeal, she filed a second appeal with the TNSIC, which heard the case last month.During the hearing, the university gave only the details regarding the number of candidates. The rest of the information was labelled confidential. The commissioner hearing the case, K Ramanujam, observed that MSU could not show any norms which made the other details confidential. "It is odd that the university considers the recruitment of teaching staff confidential. In fact it would be expected that recruitment would be a transparent process," Ramanujam noted in the order.The university was exempted from disclosing the marks of other candidates as it would be considered personal information under RTI Act. But disclosure of the performance of the selected candidate and Nalini was necessary to show the transparency of the process, noted the order.

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