‘Evaluated answer scripts are not confidential documents’

Now copies of evaluated answer scripts of examinations conducted by the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC) will be available to the public, under the Right to Information Act. Not only that, the KPSC in future, will have to make public the ‘key’ or ‘model’ answers after the entire process of selection to a particular category of post was over, besides disclosing information on the manner and method of evaluation in advance to the candidates appearing for the exams. The Karnataka Information Commission passed an order in this regard on Wednesday, in which it ruled that the KPSC cannot claim evaluated answer scripts as confidential documents, indicating a fiduciary relationship of trust between itself and the examiners. The Commission passed the order on a complaint filed by Mr E Ramamurthy, who had appeared for the Gazetted Probationers’ Examination-1998 and was denied copies of some of his answer scripts by the KPSC. State Chief Information Commissioner K K Misra and Information Commissioner K A Thippeswamy, in their order, also disagreed with the finding of the Central Information Commission that: “While seeking a copy of evaluated answer papers, either his/her own or others, a citizen would be demanding a purely personal information which has no personal relationship to any public interest or activity.” On the contrary, the State Commission held that providing answer scripts would not serve any personal purpose because the applicant’s right to get a revaluation is not covered under the RTI Act. ‘Impartial, objective’ The Commission held that providing of answer scripts would ensure impartiality, objectivity and fairness of evaluation by examiners appointed by the Public Service Commissions, whose purpose incidentally is of utmost concern to the people. Noticing the outcome of some inquiry and court proceedings in which some examiners were found to have favoured certain candidates, the Commission said, opening of evaluation process, including making evaluated answer scripts available to anybody, is very much necessary as a confidence building measure and reviving the faith of people in the KPSC. “The examiners who are entrusted with the task of evaluation would be more careful and objective in their assessment once the answer scripts were made available and it would also act as an indirect pressure on the examiners to be fair and impartial,” the Commission opined. While making it clear that providing copies of answer scripts under the RTI Act does not mean that the candidates are entitled to revaluation, the Commission said the process of re-totalling and revaluation would be governed by the rules and regulations of the KPSC. Re-Published from Deccan Herald (17 Nov. 06), in the academic interest of media students