The Delhi High Court has postponed its judgment on Delhi University’s plea challenging the CIC order to disclose Prime Minister Modi’s BA degree records. The verdict is now expected next week, keeping the transparency debate alive.
New Delhi: On August 20, the Delhi High Court was scheduled to deliver its judgment today in the long-standing legal battle over Delhi University’s challenge to a 2016 order issued by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that directed the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bachelor’s degree information.
However, the court has deferred the pronouncement as the judge did not hold court today. Court staff have indicated that the judgment may now be announced August 25.
Earlier, a bench headed by Justice Sachin Datta had reserved its verdict after listening to detailed arguments from all parties involved.
During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, argued that the CIC’s 2016 order should be set aside.
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He stressed that while records may be produced before the court,
“they should not be placed in the public domain to serve the interests of individuals ‘seeking publicity or driven by political motives.'”
He further cautioned that
“an expansive interpretation of the Right to Information (RTI) Act could hinder the functioning of public authorities.”
The controversy began when an RTI application was filed by a person named Neeraj. Based on this application, the CIC on December 21, 2016, allowed inspection of records for all students who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978, which is the same year Prime Minister Modi completed his degree.
Following this, Delhi University filed an appeal, and the High Court stayed the CIC order on January 23, 2017.
Delhi University has consistently maintained that the information is held in a “fiduciary capacity” and that
“mere curiosity, without demonstrable public interest, does not justify disclosure under the RTI Act.”
On the other hand, the CIC had observed in its 2016 order that universities are “public institutions” and that degree records maintained in their registers “qualify as public documents.”
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