Delhi HC Stays CIC Order Directing Disclosure Of PM Modi’s Degree Records

Delhi High Court has on Monday stayed the order of Central Information Commission directing the Delhi University to disclose the records relating to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree.

Delhi University has moved the Delhi High Court challenging the CIC order.

This hardly comes as a surprise after the Central Public Information Officer of the university had denied the same information to Neeraj Sharma on the ground that the said information qualified as “third party information”, Sharma then filed an appeal before CIC.

After hearing the appeal, Chief Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu had stated in the order.

“Having examined the case, the synonymous legislations and previous decisions, the Commission states that matters relating to education of a student (current/former) fall under the public domain and hence order the relevant public authority to disclose information accordingly.”

Following this order CIC Sridhar was divested of Human Resource Development Ministry charge.

CIC Sridhar had also noted in his order that every University is a public body, and that all degree related information is available in the University’s private register, which is a public document. Hence, directing disclosure of the information demanded by Neeraj Sharma, CIC observed in his order, “The disclosure of details of educational records of a student, maintained at University in no way infringes his/her right to privacy, hence there cannot be any violation of section 8(1)(j) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. This is primarily because the matters relating to educational qualifications of a student (former/current) fall under the public domain.”

This article has been made possible because of financial support from Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation.