The department of personnel and training (DoPT) has evaded the RTI query which sought the names of candidates, shortlisted for selection as chief information commissioner at the central information commission (CIC).

A N Tiwari was appointed the CIC chief on September 28.

Chief information commissioners are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the selection committee comprising the prime minister, leader of the opposition and a union cabinet minister.

Soon after Tiwari’s selection, Delhi resident M K Gupta had filed RTI application with the DoPT seeking among other things, names of the short-listed candidates considered for the post.

Responding to the specific point, the RTI reply says, “The committee after due consideration has recommended that A N Tiwari be appointed as the chief information commissioner at the central information commission.”

The applicant said that the response was unfair as the idea was to know the names of the candidates, other than A N Tiwari, who were in the fray for the post of CIC chief. “It clearly shows that there was no other candidate and therefore, the committee had no choice but to select him,” said Gupta.

The applicant had also asked whether the short listing and selection criteria would be made public by putting the same on the department’s website or by any other means.

To this, the DoPT provided a copy of the minutes of the selection committee’s meeting held on September 28.