Delhi HC Sets Aside CIC Order On PM Modi's DU Degree Disclosure

The Delhi High Court has set aside a Central Information Commission order that had directed Delhi University to disclose records related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree. Justice Sachin Datta pronounced the order, with a detailed judgment awaited.

DU had challenged a CIC directive, issued in 2016, which allowed inspection of records of students who passed the BA programme in 1978 — the year PM Modi is stated to have cleared the examination. The high court had stayed the order in 2017.

Appearing for DU, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the CIC's order was liable to be set aside. He said the varsity had "no objection" to showing the degree to the court but opposed making the record available to outsiders.

"There is a degree from 1978, Bachelor of Arts. But the university cannot put the record for scrutiny by strangers," he told the court, adding that "mere curiosity is not enough" to invoke the Right to Information Act.

Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing RTI applicant Neeraj, countered that such information was ordinarily public, often displayed on university notice boards, websites, or even newspapers. He also contested the claim that DU held the records in a "fiduciary capacity," which would exempt them from disclosure under RTI law.