Delhi HC sets aside CIC order: 'PM Modi’s DU degree records will not be disclosed'

The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside the Central Information Commission’s (CIC) 2016 order directing the University of Delhi (DU) to disclose the bachelor’s degree details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Justice Sachin Datta ruled that the academic records need not be made public, with a detailed order to follow. The judgment came after the court had reserved its decision on February 27.

The dispute began with a Right to Information (RTI) application filed in 2016 by an applicant named Neeraj. The RTI sought the result of all students who appeared in the Bachelor of Arts examination in 1978, including roll numbers, names, marks, and pass/fail details. The university’s Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) denied the request, citing that it constituted “third party information” protected under the RTI Act.

Challenging this denial, the matter reached the CIC, which on December 21, 2016, ordered that records of all students who cleared the 1978 BA examination be opened for inspection. The CIC held that matters relating to the education of a student fall under the public domain and directed DU to allow access to the relevant register.

Following the CIC order, the University of Delhi approached the Delhi High Court in January 2017. The high court stayed the CIC directive on the very first day of hearing. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing DU, argued that student records were held in a fiduciary capacity, and releasing them would compromise the privacy of thousands of individuals. He added that the university had no objection to producing the records before the court but opposed making them public.

On Monday, the Delhi High Court accepted DU’s plea and quashed the CIC order. It ruled that there would be no disclosure of Prime Minister Modi’s academic record or the 1978 BA examination records. The court clarified that while the university could present the documents to the judiciary if required, they would not be accessible under the RTI Act. The parties involved may now approach the Supreme Court to continue the case.