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New Delhi, May 12 (UNI) The Science and Technology Ministry has thrown open its doors to the people, barely a week after the state-run Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was pulled up by the Central Information Commission for not parting with information to one of its scientists.

Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal today said information would henceforth be given as a ''matter of norm'' under the Right to Information Act.

Information will be withheld ''only as an exception'' that too after consultations with inhouse lawyers, who are to be appointed soon in each department of the Ministry, he told reporters.

The status of scientific projects and details of procurement of equipment would also available to the people on Ministry web sites from March 31 next year, he added.

''Anybody can access these web sites and receive information,'' Mr Sibal said listing the web sites (www.dst.gov.in, ww.dbtindia.gov.in, www.dsir.gov.in and www.dod.nic.in).

The Central Information Commission, headed by Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah, had directed CSIR to provide information to scientist Anand Akhila about the marks awarded to him for promotion.

The Commission had also allowed the scientist to inspect the documents containing his assessment details.

The Commission had observed that denying information showed ''a contempt for the law and disregard for the decorum worthy of a public authority, particularly of the standing of CSIR''.

Akhila's request for information on the marks awarded to him by each member of the promotions committee was denied on the ground that it was exempted under Section 8(1) of the Right to Information Act.

UNI FZ VD BD1839