A Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court has dismissed Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against Rs 25,000 costs in the PM Modi degree case, refusing to expunge the Single Judge’s remarks and adding that a political leader cannot use statutory proceedings for political motives, and has held on merits that the CIC’s 2016 direction to disclose the Prime Minister’s degrees was outside the RTI Act and hit by Sections 8(1)(e) and (j).
The Gujarat High Court has dismissed Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal against a March 2023 single judge order that quashed the CIC’s 2016 direction on disclosure of information about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degrees and imposed costs of Rs 25,000 on him, saying it found no error in the judgment, and has also dismissed the stay application.
The Delhi High Court held that the PM CARES Fund does not lose its right to privacy under the RTI Act merely because it is managed or controlled by the government. The Court clarified that third-party privacy protections under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act apply equally to public and private entities.
Supreme Court Judge Justice Narasimha emphasized the need to keep India’s constitutional institutions free from political influence. Speaking at the Justice ES Venkataramiah Centennial Memorial Lecture at NLSIU, Bengaluru, he highlighted the importance of protecting the integrity of these institutions. He explained that staying neutral is crucial for these bodies to uphold the Constitution and serve the public fairly.