Hyderabad: The Osmania University (OU) in Hyderabad has sought the citizenship proof of a Right to Information (RTI) activist after the latter sought details of the land owned by the university.
The RTI seeking land details was filed by activist and urban development forum state convener M Srinivas, who sought details regarding the university’s land holdings, including survey records, amount of property, and administrative information maintained by the estate and legal cell.
According to a report by the Times of India, the university land has been a point of discussion due to alleged encroachment and management practices.
University seeks citizenship proof
Instead of responding to the RTI, the university cited Section 3 of the RTI Act, 2005, adding that only Indian citizens can seek information from public authorities. The university has asked Srinivas to provide a copy of his Aadhaar card or any supporting documents.
“While section 3 establishes that citizens have the right to information subject to the Act’s provisions, it does not mandate submission of citizenship proof along with an RTI request,” Srinivas told TOI.
He stated that seeking such proofs amounts to placing conditions, which are not mentioned in the law. Despite a reminder from Srinivas, Osmania University did not provide information regarding the land. The OU cited the absence of citizenship as the reason for not providing the details. The activist said that public authorities were increasingly resorting to procedural restrictions to delay or deny information.
In June 2025, Srinvas approached the Telangana Information Commission to file a complaint against the university’s demand and sought the disclosure of land details.
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