Delhi University denied the RTI request, saying the academic details of thousands of students could not be shared due to privacy rules.
The Delhi High Court has ruled that Delhi University (DU) does not have to share details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree or the academic records of his batch. The decision overturns an eight-year-old order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had directed DU to allow inspection of these records.
The case began with a Right to Information (RTI) application in 2016, where an applicant asked for academic details of all BA students from the year 1978. This was the same year PM Modi is said to have graduated, according to his election filings.
Delhi University denied the RTI request, saying the academic details of thousands of students could not be shared due to privacy rules. The CIC, however, had said that the educational qualifications of public figures like the Prime Minister should be made transparent and that the register containing such information should be considered a public document.
Challenging this order, DU approached the High Court. It argued that releasing the records would harm the privacy of other students and set a dangerous precedent.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the university, told the court that privacy must be respected. He argued that “individuals who wanted the record were seeking publicity or driven by political motives.” He further said that while DU could show the records to the court if required, it could not make them public.
Mehta also warned that allowing such disclosures could impact the functioning of public authorities across the country.
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Activists and RTI applicants argued that the Right to Information law does not consider the identity or intention of the person seeking details. They said that since a degree is a qualification granted by a public university, it is not a private matter. According to them, PM Modi’s educational records are a matter of “significant public interest.”
The demand was rooted in the belief that the educational qualifications of public leaders must be transparent for the sake of accountability.
The legal dispute has stretched for almost a decade. The High Court reserved its judgment on February 27 this year and delivered it on August 25. With this ruling, the CIC’s earlier order stands cancelled.
However, the matter may not end here. Those seeking PM Modi’s degree records are expected to appeal against the Delhi High Court’s order in the Supreme Court.
For now, Delhi University will not have to share the Prime Minister’s degree records or those of his 1978 batchmates.
