PM Modi degree row: Delhi HC quashes CIC order; DU not bound to share his 1978 BA records

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday quashed a Central Information Commission (CIC) order that had directed disclosure of details regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree.Justice Sachin Datta gave the judgment, which had been reserved on February 27, after hearing a petition filed by Delhi University against the CIC order.The case began with an RTI request filed by a man named Neeraj. In December 2016, the CIC had allowed people to inspect the records of all students who passed the BA exam in 1978, the same year PM Modi completed his graduation.The Delhi high court had earlier put a stay on the CIC order on January 23, 2017.During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Delhi University (DU), argued that the CIC order should be cancelled. He said the university had no problem showing the records to the court itself. "University has no objection in showing the record to the court. There is a degree from 1978, Bachelor of Arts," Mehta stated.DU challenged the CIC directive by saying that student records are kept in a fiduciary capacity, and that “mere curiosity” without larger public interest cannot justify disclosure under the RTI Act.On the other hand, the counsel for the RTI applicants defended the CIC order, arguing that the Right to Information law allows disclosure of the prime minister’s educational details because it serves a greater public good.