Delhi High Court to Review Disclosure of PM Modi's Educational Records

Appeals are before the Delhi High Court challenging a single-judge's quashing of CIC's order for disclosing PM Modi's educational qualifications. The case raises questions about public interest versus confidentiality under the RTI Act. The Division Bench led by Chief Justice Upadhyaya will decide the matter.

Appeals have been filed before a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court against a single-judge decision that overturned the Central Information Commission's (CIC) 2016 directive mandating the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational qualifications. This bench is composed of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.

The appeal is spearheaded by Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, along with RTI activist Neeraj Sharma and advocate Mohd Irshad. They contest the August 25 order by Justice Sachin Datta, which categorized educational qualifications under 'personal information' per Section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act (RTI), arguing for non-disclosure without proving a larger public interest.

In further detail, the single-judge order dismissed the CIC's 2016 instruction for Delhi University to allow an inspection of 1978 student records, when it is understood that PM Modi completed his Bachelor of Arts degree. Justice Datta emphasized the distinction between 'public interest' and mere 'public curiosity,' advocating for the protection of individual confidentiality under a fiduciary framework.

Delhi University, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, defended the confidentiality of academic records, positioned as a custodial responsibility. The university argued that revealing such information could spur politically motivated or sensationalist RTI requests, undermining the intent of the RTI Act. They assured that records could still be made available in judicial contexts, preserving the principle of fiduciary trust.

The legal debate began with RTI applications filed in 2016, which led the CIC to demand transparency regarding PM Modi's degree. The High Court's Division Bench will deliberate over the balance between privacy and public interest in this high-stakes case.

(With inputs from agencies.)