Information is being published in pursuance of section 4(1)(b) of Right to Information Act, 2005

How to make a request for information under the RTI Act?

1. The request shall be in writing or through electronic means in English or Malayalam or in the official language of the area in which the application is made.
2. The full name, address, particulars of information required and other relevant references, if any, are to be clearly specified in the application.
3. The application shall be accompanied by the prescribed fee.

The government Of Kerala has prescribed the fee as per the  Kerala Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and cost Rules, 2006). The application fee is Rs.10/- which shall be paid in any of the following manners :

1. Demand Draft taken in favour of Finance Officer, payable at UBI, Kollam
2. Postal Order

The application has to be addressed to the Public Information Officer, Sreenarayanaguru Open University, Kollam,Kerala,691601, specifying the particulars of the information sought by him.

Assistance

Where the applicant cannot make the request in writing, the State Public Information Officer shall render all reasonable assistance to the person making the request to reduce the oral request into a written request.

Persons below poverty line are not required to remit the application fee. However, they are required to produce BPL certificate from the Block Development Officer for those persons residing in rural areas and, from the Secretary of the Corporation/Municipality of those residing in the Corporation / Municipal area, respectively.

An applicant is not required to give any reason for requesting the information or any other personal details except those that may be necessary for contacting him.

Time limit for Information

On receipt of a request for information, the Public Information Officer shall either give the information on payment of the prescribed fee or reject the request for any of the reasons specified in section 8 and 9 of the RTI Act as expeditiously as possible, and in any case within thirty days of the receipt of the request.

If the reply is not received in time or if the information is not given, you can tender an appeal to the  Appellate Authority, Sreenarayanaguru Open University.

Where the information sought for concerns the life or liberty of a person , the same shall be given within 48 hours of the receipt of the request.

If the decision on the request for information is not given within the prescribed time limit, the request shall be deemed to have been refused.

Where a decision is taken to provide the information on payment of the cost of providing the information, the Public Information Officer shall send an intimation to the person making the request giving details of the fee representing the cost of providing the information and the calculation made to arrive at the amount, requesting him to deposit the fees. The period intervening between the dispatch of the above intimation and payment of fees shall be excluded for the purpose of the maximum period in determining the time limit for providing the information.

Fee for providing information

1. Rupees three for each page in A4 size paper
2. Actual charge or cost price of the copy in larger size paper
3. Actual cost or price for samples or models, maps, plans etc.
4. For inspection of records, no fee for the first hour; and a fee of rupees ten for every subsequent thirty minutes or fraction thereof.

Provided, that in the case of public authorities other than the Government Departments, the fee shall be remitted to the account of such public authority as provided in clause (c) and (d) of rule 3 of the Kerala Right to Information (Regulation of Fee and Cost Rules), 2006.

Services available in the University for which specific procedure and fee are fixed, cannot be provided under the RTI Act. Eg: Genuineness of a certificate, attestation of certificates, scrutiny of answer paper, copy of answer scripts, mark lists, duplicate mark lists, special certificates, degree certificates, eligibility/equivalency certificates etc. 

Up to 20 pages (A4 size) of documents, no fees shall be charged from persons Below Poverty Line.

Persons below the poverty line are exempted from payment of the application fee and also the fee for providing the information. The Government of Kerala has authorized the Block Development Officers as the competent authority to issue the eligibility certificate to those below poverty line in rural areas and, the Secretary of the Corporation/Municipality for those below poverty line in the Corporation / Municipal area.

Information is free if the time limit is exceeded

The information shall be provided free of cost where a Public Authority fails to comply with the prescribed time limit.

Rejection of a request

Where a request is rejected, the State Public Information Officer shall inform the person making the request.

1. The reason for such rejection
2. Period within which the appeal may be preferred; and
3. The particulars of the Appellate Authority

Exempted Organizations

By virtue of the powers vested under section 24 of the RTI Act, Government of Kerala, has exempted the following organizations from the purview of the Act.

1. Special Branch CID
2. Crime Branch CID
3. District Special Branches of all Districts/Cities.
4. District and Crime Record Bureau
5. Police Telecommunication Unit
6. Confidential Branch in the Police Headquarters, Kerala and Confidential sections in all Police Offices in Kerala
7. State and Regional Forensic Science Laboratories
8. State and District Finger Print Bureau

However, the information pertaining to allegations of corruption and human rights violations are not exempted from disclosure in the case of these exempted organisations. In the case of allegations of violation of human rights, the information shall be provided only after the approval of the State Information Commission and the information shall be provided within 45 days from the receipt of the request.