New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) order that had directed Delhi University to disclose details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bachelor of Arts degree, terming the information request politically motivated, Live Law reported.
Justice Sachin Datta allowed the petition filed by Delhi University challenging the CIC’s 2017 directive, which had ordered it to furnish details of Modi’s degree to an RTI applicant. “CIC order is set aside,” Datta said, according to Bar and Bench. The court had reserved its verdict on the matter in February.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the university, argued that student records are maintained in a fiduciary capacity and constitute personal information that cannot be disclosed under the RTI Act. The university also maintained that the RTI application was politically driven.
The petitioner, Neeraj Kumar, countered that educational qualifications are public information, often published on noticeboards and in newspapers. He had sought details of Delhi University’s BA program in 1978, including roll numbers, marks and pass-fail status of students.
The university’s central public information officer initially denied the request, calling it “third-party information.” The activist then approached the CIC, which in 2016 directed the university to release the details, stating that degree records were public documents maintained by the institution.
The BJP has maintained that Modi obtained a BA degree from Delhi University in 1978 and an MA from Gujarat University in 1983, while the Aam Aadmi Party and other critics have questioned the authenticity of these qualifications.