Rajasthan High Court Ruling on RUHS Processing Fees
The Rajasthan High Court has made a significant ruling regarding the processing fees imposed by universities under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The court determined that universities, including the Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS), cannot charge additional processing fees for providing certified copies of answer sheets.
This decision arose from a case involving Vipika, a B.Sc. Nursing student, who applied for certified copies of her evaluated answer books. RUHS had demanded a total of ₹1225 for each answer book, which included a ₹1000 processing fee. The court found this charge to be contrary to the provisions of the RTI Act.
In its ruling, the court emphasized that the fee structure outlined in the RTI Act must be adhered to by public authorities. The court quashed the university’s guidelines that imposed the ₹1000 processing fee, stating, “The fee payable for seeking information under the Act is already specified by the statutory rules and public authorities cannot prescribe additional charges that are inconsistent with those rules.”
The RTI Act aims to promote transparency and accountability in public authorities, ensuring that citizens can access information without undue financial burden. The court’s decision reinforces this principle, making it clear that the only fees that can be charged are those prescribed under the RTI Rules.
According to the RTI Act, the application fee is set at ₹10, with an additional cost of ₹2 per page for copies of documents. For an answer book containing approximately 40 pages, the total photocopy charges would amount to ₹80, plus ₹145 for postal charges, bringing the total to ₹235. This stark contrast to the ₹1225 initially demanded by RUHS highlights the potential financial barriers that could discourage students from seeking their rightful information.
The court also noted that imposing a processing fee of ₹1000 appeared to be an attempt to discourage students from seeking certified copies of their answer books. This ruling is expected to have a broader impact on how universities across Rajasthan handle RTI requests.
As this ruling sets a precedent, it is anticipated that other universities may need to reassess their fee structures to comply with the RTI Act. Further developments in this area are expected as institutions adapt to the court’s decision.
Details remain unconfirmed regarding any immediate changes that universities will implement in response to this ruling, but the emphasis on transparency and accountability is likely to resonate throughout the educational landscape in Rajasthan.
