RTI reply does not shield a substantive service decision from tribunal challenge where service rights are affected.

A substantive service decision conveyed through an RTI reply can still be challenged before the Central Administrative Tribunal when it concerns a service matter under the Central Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985. Section 23 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 bars proceedings against orders made under that Act, but it does not prevent scrutiny of the underlying service decision where the reply merely communicates reasons affecting rights such as supersession or denial of deemed promotion. The Tribunal's jurisdiction is broad enough to entertain such service grievances.

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Issues: Whether a communication received under the Right to Information Act, 2005, containing reasons affecting service rights, could be challenged before the Central Administrative Tribunal as part of a service matter, and whether Section 23 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 barred such a challenge.

Analysis: The statutory bar in Section 23 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 operates against courts entertaining proceedings in respect of orders made under that Act, but it does not prevent a challenge to the substantive contents of information supplied under that Act when the information itself conveys a service decision affecting rights. The jurisdiction of the Central Administrative Tribunal under Section 19 of the Central Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 is not confined to formal orders alone, because service matters under Section 3(q) are broadly defined. A service grievance such as supersession or denial of deemed promotion may be questioned even where the employer's decision is communicated through a reply under the Right to Information Act, 2005.

Conclusion: The challenge before the Tribunal was maintainable, and the Tribunal was required to entertain the original applications insofar as they questioned the employer's decision conveyed through the Right to Information reply.

Ratio Decidendi: A substantive service decision communicated through an RTI reply remains amenable to challenge before the Central Administrative Tribunal if it falls within service matters, and Section 23 of the Right to Information Act, 2005 does not bar such a challenge.

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