Delhi HC Sets Aside CIC Order on PM Modi’s Degree Disclosure

Delhi HC sets aside CIC order asking to disclose info on PM Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree. Justice Sachin Datta of the Delhi High Court quashed the Central Information Commission's (CIC) directive that ordered Delhi University (DU) to allow public inspection of its 1978 BA records, the year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed his graduation.

DU had filed its plea back in 2017, challenging the CIC order, which stemmed from a 2016 RTI application by an activist named Neeraj Kumar. The CIC had ruled that student educational credentials are in the public domain. DU countered, arguing that such details are protected as "third-party" and held in a "fiduciary capacity," not subject to public scrutiny.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the university, reiterated DU's position that while the institution has "no objection to showing the record to the court," it must not be placed in the public domain for "strangers" driven by mere curiosity.