CIC Order Related to PM Modi's Degree Quashed by Delhi High Court
Udaipur, Aug 25, 2025: Justice Sachin Dutta, of the Delhi High Court, today set aside the order of the Central Information Commission, which had instructed the Delhi University to furnish information on the BA Degree that the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi had mentioned as his qualification, while filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections.
In 2016, the former Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal had asked the Prime Minister to clear the confusion over his education qualifications, specially his degree and make his educational qualifications public. A year earlier, a certain Neeraj Sharma had filed an RTI asking for details related to all the Bachelor of Arts degree awarded by the Delhi University in 1978. The Prime Minister, in his election affidavit had sworn that he graduated with a BA (Political Science) from Delhi University, in 1978. The DU had refused to entertain Sharma's request, saying that a degree is a private matter and nothing to do with public interest.
Sharma then moved the Central Information Commission (CIC) against the University's response to his application. The CIC, headed by Prof Acharyulu passed an order directing the Delhi University to provide information of the BA degrees awarded in 1978. The DU in return, moved the High Court challenging the CIC order, following which the Delhi HC stayed the order of the CIC and issued a notice to Neeraj Sharma. The SG Tushar Mehta argued that the order had far-reaching adverse consequences and all universities hold records of their students in a fiduciary capacity. He argued citing a certain earlier order that the Right to Privacy supercedes the Right to Know. Personal information, for this matter cannot be sought under the RTI Act.
Tushar Mehta also argued that RTI applicants make a mockery of the RTI Act and said that public authorities will not be able to exercise their purpose if such applications are entertained. He added that the application is related more for political purposes than for public good.
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, arguing for the RTI applicant contested the claim of Mehta saying that degree related information is in public domain.
Source: Media Reports
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