New Delhi, Oct. 16: The Union Public Service Commission received a rap from the Central Information Commission today for not disclosing exam-related information despite being asked under an earlier order.

The UPSC has also been asked to report before the information commission on an appeal by UPSC examinees seeking to see their evaluated answer scripts.

A full bench of five information commissioners heard the arguments of lawyers representing the UPSC and the examinees before ordering that the commission “explain its actions within a week”.

“On October 23, there will also be a hearing into the matter, when the CIC will give its final verdict,” said chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah.

Last month, the information commission had ordered the UPSC to disclose exam details — such as cut-off marks for general and reserved category students and the number of candidates who appeared — after the completion of the exam process.

The UPSC resisted the decision, claiming that the disclosure would hamper the exam process. However, the UPSC’s appeal was shot down by the information commission, following which it filed a fresh appeal citing the reason that an “unhealthy precedent would be set”, were the exam details to be revealed.

Around mid-September, a fresh set of around 300 students who had appeared for the UPSC examinations filed an appeal with the UPSC commissioner under the Right to Information Act seeking to see their evaluated answer scripts.

When the 30-day period within which the UPSC was supposed to respond elapsed, the students filed a complaint with the information commission.

The UPSC then told the information commission it had been delayed because of the large number of student applications received. It also urged that its appeal on the earlier order be clubbed with the fresh case, as “the two cases are congruous”.

At the hearing today, while the information commission agreed to look at the two cases together, it gave the UPSC a dressing down for trying to subvert their earlier order.

In a move which could set off a new controversy, it asked the UPSC to expedite its decision on the appeal made in mid-September and present it on October 23.

The UPSC technically has 14 more days to reply to the appeal made on September 15 — under extraneous circumstances, a public authority can take up to 45 days to respond to an appeal under the Right to Information Act.

“We have so many appeals by students with us. This constitutes extraneous circumstances. There is no way we can decide on these appeals by October 23,” said UPSC commissioner Satish Kumar after today’s decision.

The UPSC is also questioning the right of the information commission to ask it to deliver a decision before the 45 days it is allowed are over.