Delhi High Court rules Modi’s degree details cannot be disclosed; quashes CIC order

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday struck down a Central Information Commission directive that had asked Delhi University to share records related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bachelor of Arts degree. The order came on a plea filed by the university against the CIC’s 2017 decision.

Justice Sachin Datta, while pronouncing the judgment, said the CIC directive could not be sustained. “The CIC order is set aside,” he observed, as reported by Live Law. The court had reserved its verdict on February 28.

Delhi University contended that the RTI application which triggered the case was politically motivated. Appearing on behalf of the university, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the institution maintains student records in a fiduciary role, which makes them personal in nature and therefore exempt from disclosure.

The RTI applicant, activist Neeraj Kumar, disagreed, insisting that educational details fall under public information. He argued that such data has often been displayed on noticeboards or even published in newspapers.

The BJP has consistently asserted that Modi obtained his BA from Delhi University in 1978, followed by an MA from Gujarat University in 1983. Opposition parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, have challenged these claims, alleging that the degrees are fabricated.

Kumar had initially sought details of students enrolled in the university’s BA programme in 1978, asking for roll numbers, marks obtained and whether candidates had passed or failed. The Central Public Information Officer at Delhi University denied the request, calling it “third party information.” Kumar then approached the CIC, which in 2016 ruled that the university should release the details, reasoning that records maintained in the register of a public institution are public documents. That order now stands annulled with the High Court’s ruling.