April 7: The Madras high court has held that an applicant making a request for information under the Right To Information (RTI) Act is not required to furnish a reason for requesting the information or any personal details except information necessary to contact him. Justice K. Chandru also set aside an order of the Tamil Nadu Information Commission directing Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University to provide certain information and remanded the matter back to the commission to pass an appropriate order. Human Rights Legal Awareness Society president A. Ramesh Manikandan had originally sought certain information regarding an examination held by the varsity. The university rejected the petitioner’s plea on the ground that he had no locus standi. Mr Manikandan then moved the commission, which on August 18, 2009 directed the university to furnish the information. The university filed the petition. Partly allowing the petition, the judge said the varsity appeared to be under a wrong notion that information seekers should establish their bonafides to seek such information.\
Anilkumar BVN
