HC stays CIC order on details of PM’s degree

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, January 23

The Delhi High Court today stayed an order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) asking Delhi University (DU) to disclose details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BA degree issued in 1979.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva also issued a notice to Neeraj Sharma, an activist of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), seeking his response to DU’s appeal against the CIC order. The HC slated the next hearing for April 27.

Appearing for the university, Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta pleaded the CIC had failed to appreciate the fact that the institution was not supposed to show its record on bachelor’s degree issued to any student to third persons.

The university had a fiduciary relationship with its students and as such details of degrees and mark sheets could be provided only to the respective students, and not to others, Mehta said.

Sharma had initially approached the university pleading for a copy of Modi’s BA degree under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The university rejected the plea, stating that such information was not covered under RTI as no “public interest” was involved in it. Upon this, Sharma went to the CIC.

The CIC slapped a fine of Rs 25,000 on DU’s Information Officer for denying information and directed her to provide it. Earlier, the university had confirmed that Modi completed his BA course in 1978 and obtained the degree in 1979. Delhi Chief Minister AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal has raised doubts over Modi’s educational qualification.