Registrar education as first appellate authority: Principal slams move, writes to Adviser

JS Raghu said, “Administration has the power to designate anybody as the first appellate authority or the CPIOs but only on the conditions of rank and seniority level. However, in this case, the person much junior to us has been made the first appellate authority and we remain the CPIOs.”

On July 2015, the Administration had issued the circular stating that in accordance with provision contained under Section 5 and 19 of the Enactment/ Enforcement of Right of Information Act, 2005, the officers/officials are designated as Appellate authority, CPIO to disseminate information in respect of office of Director Higher Education, government colleges and institutions.

The sources said the Registrar (Colleges) falls under the category of Pay Band 3 of Rs 15,600-39,100, while the current CPIOs- principals of the government colleges are under the Pay Band 4 of Rs 37,400-67,000 with Academic Grade Pay (AGP) of Rs 10,000. Thus, the Registrar (Colleges) is a sub-ordinate to the college principals and is not eligible to be designated as the First Appellate Authority.

Registrar (Colleges) Arjun Dev was earlier the CPIO (Colleges) and Director Higher Education was the first appellate authority. The orders were passed by the former DPI (Schools) and Director Higher Education Kamlesh Kumar Bhadoo.