CIC Acts on Evasive Responses
The Central Information Commission (CIC) has served show-cause notices to several government bodies, including the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and the National E-Governance Division (NeGD). This step was taken due to their unsatisfactory responses to a Right to Information (RTI) request related to the development of the Aarogya Setu contact tracing application.
RTI Seeks Transparency on App’s Origins
An RTI application submitted by Saurav Das requested comprehensive details regarding the development of the Aarogya Setu app, including documentation and audits aimed at safeguarding user data. Although the app handles sensitive information from millions of users, the responsible agencies either denied access to the information or claimed that no such records existed.
NIC Disowns Development Records
In an unexpected statement, the National Informatics Centre (NIC)—officially credited as the creator, developer, and host of the Aarogya Setu app—asserted it had no records related to the app’s development. The CIC strongly criticized this contradiction, highlighting the inconsistency between NIC’s public association with the app and its claim of lacking related documentation.
CIC Calls Explanation ‘Preposterous’
The CIC called the agencies’ failure to provide basic information on the app’s creation and development process “extremely preposterous.” It noted that such evasive responses raise serious concerns about transparency and accountability, especially when dealing with personal data collected on a large scale.
Officials Summoned for Hearing
The Commission has summoned the Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) from the three agencies to appear before the bench on November 24. The purpose is to seek clarity on why they failed to maintain or disclose essential documents regarding the app’s development.
Aarogya Setu’s Role During the Pandemic
Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Aarogya Setu app was designed to track real-time movement of individuals and alert users if they were in proximity to confirmed cases. With millions of downloads and mandatory usage in certain settings, the app played a key role in the government’s containment strategy—making transparency around its development crucial.
