PM’s degree row: HC questions RTI activist on public interest in seeking 1978 DU records

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday questioned RTI activist Neeraj Sharma on whether his request for records of students who graduated from Delhi University (DU) in 1978, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, served any public interest.

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Justice Sachin Datta raised this query while hearing DU’s challenge to a 2017 Central Information Commission (CIC) order, which had directed the university to disclose the requested information.

“Is there any public interest in seeking these details?” the court asked Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing Sharma.

Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for DU, argued that student records are held in a fiduciary capacity and are therefore exempt from disclosure under the RTI Act.

He also questioned the legitimacy of the RTI applicants, noting that three out of four had not paid the requisite fees.

The controversy dates back to 2016 when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal urged Modi to disclose his degrees. Sharma then filed an RTI request, which DU rejected, calling the records “private”.

The CIC later directed DU to disclose the 1978 graduate register, but the university challenged the order in the High Court, which stayed it in 2017.

During the hearing on Tuesday, Mehta criticised the rise of “RTI activists”, arguing that the system is often misused.

Hegde countered that degree-related details are not confidential and that the fee issue was “curable.” He contended that educational records should be accessible regardless of whether they pertain to an ordinary citizen or a public figure. The court will continue hearing the matter on February 19.