Disclose Ketan Desai's medical registration status: CIC to MCI

In a terse order, the Central Information Commission has directed the Medical Council of India (MCI) to disclose the current status of suspension of the medical registration of its former chief Ketan Desai, who faced allegations of corruption.
MCI, the country's medical education regulator, had earlier denied the information, saying the matter was pending before the ethics committee.
The Commission has also directed MCI to disclose details of the ethics committee meetings where decision to alter the decision to suspend his medical registration was taken.
"Even if the matter is pending before the ethics committee, no reason nor justification has been given by the respondent as to why information cannot be shared about the current status of the complaint/appeal filed by the appellant and likewise about the status of suspension of Ketan Desai," Information Commissioner Yashovardhan Azad held.

Taking strong view that CIC order on placing minutes of the ethics committee is not being complied by MCI, Azad said there has been blatant violation of the Commission's order as the sought information has neither been disclosed on the website since October 2013 nor any justification furnished for such non-disclosure.
He said in the event that the status of Desai's medical registration has changed, the meetings when such decision to alter or change the suspension was taken is also not a piece of information which is exempt from disclosure under any of the provisions of the RTI Act.

Deciding the plea of US-based doctor Kunal Saha, who is the president of People for Better Treatment, Azad also asked MCI to provide him the qualifications of professors and doctors who carry out inspections of medical colleges since 2013, when the body was reconstituted.

"The Commission has gone through the detailed arguments ... Finds that much of the information denied by the respondent should have been provided to the appellant. No justification apart from the PIO's reply has been offered to reason such denial by the respondents," he said.
MCI was reconstituted on November 6, 2013 as per provision contained in the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) second ordinance, 2013.