Delhi HC seeks DU’s clarification on delay in RTI appeals over PM Modi’s degree

The Delhi High Court has asked Delhi University to clarify the reasons behind its delay in filing appeals related to the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bachelor of Arts degree.

The appeals challenge a previous order that had overturned a directive requiring the university to make details of the 1978 degree public.

A bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela gave the university three weeks to explain the delay in submitting its objections. The court did not issue a formal notice in the matter, according to reports.

The case stems from an appeal filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, RTI activist Neeraj Sharma, and advocate Mohammad Irshad. They are contesting the August 25 order of a single-judge bench that set aside a 2016 decision by the Central Information Commission (CIC). The CIC had earlier instructed Delhi University to disclose Modi’s BA degree details under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

The university had previously argued that the RTI request was politically driven. The single-judge bench had agreed, observing that the disclosure of the Prime Minister’s degree did not serve any larger public interest, and had stayed the CIC directive.

In their appeal, the petitioners have sought a review of that order, contending that the case raises key questions about the scope of exemptions under Section 8 of the RTI Act and whether disclosure can still be justified in the public interest even if exemptions apply.

The High Court has said it will first determine whether the delay in filing the appeals can be excused before taking up the main issues. The case will next be heard on January 16, 2026.

The controversy dates back to a 2016 RTI request filed by Neeraj Sharma seeking details of students enrolled in Delhi University’s 1978 BA programme, including roll numbers, marks, and pass-fail records. The university’s public information officer had denied the request, calling it “third-party information.”

Sharma then appealed to the Central Information Commission, which ruled that the university was a public institution and that its degree registers were public documents. The commission directed the university to release the requested information.

Delhi University challenged this decision in the High Court, arguing that the data sought — including names and marks of students — was exempt from disclosure under the RTI Act.

The Bharatiya Janata Party maintains that Prime Minister Modi earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Delhi University in 1978 and a Master of Arts degree from Gujarat University in 1983. Opposition leaders, however, have questioned the authenticity of these degrees.