The Delhi High Court on Monday stayed its order directing Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to provide certified copy of answersheet to its students under the Right to Information Act.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice N K Kaul stayed the operation of the order passed by a single judge bench on April 30.

Senior Advocate Soli Sorabjee, appearing for the Institute, contended that students have no right to seek disclosure of their answer sheet and it does not come under the purview of the RTI Act.

The single bench had directed the Institute to provide a copy of the answersheet to its students under the RTI Act saying it could not be excluded from the purview of the Right to Information Act and examination authority cannot deny answersheet to students.

Observing that the Act confers positive power to a citizen which should not be hindered by authorities, the court dismissed the plea of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India challenging the CIC's order to provide a certified copy of the answer sheet to a student who could not clear the exam.