SEBI Rejects RTI for Uncompiled Candidate Data

SEBI Upholds RTI Denial for Uncompiled Candidate Data

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has upheld the rejection of a Right to Information (RTI) application seeking compilation of candidate data scattered across multiple records, invoking exemption provisions related to disproportionate diversion of public authority resources.

The appellate authority found that aggregating the requested information would require extensive manual effort across disparate systems, thereby diverting significant administrative bandwidth from core regulatory functions. The decision relied on Section 7(9) of the RTI Act, 2005, which permits denial where compliance would interfere unreasonably with operations of the public authority.

"Compiling non-digitized, fragmented data across departments would cause disproportionate diversion of resources."

This ruling reaffirms the bounds of RTI obligations, particularly in cases involving unstructured data. Public authorities may lawfully refuse requests requiring disproportionate effort, provided they justify the operational impact. Requesters may need to narrow the scope or accept partial disclosures in such instances.