New Delhi: A researcher was asked to prove his Indian citizenship before getting the answer to a query he had filed under the Right To Information Act, The Telegraph has reported, noting that this was a “very unusual occurrence.”
The state public information officer at Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital asked Sabir Ahamed, a researcher associated with Amartya Sen’s Pratichi (India) Trust, to prove his citizenship after he applied for information on medical administration in Bengal.
Ahamed, who is described in the report as a national research coordinator at Pratichi, had sought data from all 23 medical colleges in Bengal on their students, faculty and administrative employees, including details such as social groups to which they belong.
Ahamed sought to assess the representation of underprivileged groups in medical education and administration, he told the paper.
“In response to your RTI application…, the undersigned would like to mention that you have not declared in the said application that you are a citizen of India. Therefore we are unable to are unable to answer your queries until you provide proof of your Indian Citizenship.”
Ahamed sent a copy of his Aadhaar card to the SPIO. The report said, “Another communication came on December 6, claiming that they (the medical college) would provide the information because the applicant had identified himself as a scholar, but the Aadhaar card was not considered proof of citizenship.”
“However, in certain exceptional circumstances, a PIO (or SPIO) may ask for the proof (of citizenship) for example, if he has reason to believe that the application has not been filed by a citizen or if there is a doubt whether the applicant is an Indian citizen,” the government website reads.
Ahamed told the paper that he suspected that his name or an attempt to deny information counted towards the SPIO finding reason to question his citizenship.
