Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, March 31: The Gujarat High Court declared on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree and post-graduate degree certificates are not required to be provided by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The order of the Chief Information Commission (CIC) instructing the public information officers (PIOs) of the PMO, Gujarat University, and Delhi University to provide details of Modi’s undergraduate and graduate degrees was overturned by single-judge Judge Biren Vaishnav.
Relevantly, the Court also assessed Arvind Kejriwal fine of 25,000 for his request for information on the PM’s degree certificate.
The Gujarat University’s appeal, which contested a CIC ruling, was being heard by the panel.
Pertinently, the Court also imposed costs of Rs 25,000 on Arvind Kejriwal who had sought details of the PM's degree certificate.
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2023
According to Modi, he earned his undergraduate degree from Gujarat University in 1978 and his postgraduate degree from Delhi University in 1983.
The university’s Solicitor General (SG), Tushar Mehta, had argued at the hearing conducted last month that even if there is nothing to conceal, the university cannot be forced to reveal the information.
“In a democracy, there won’t be a difference if a person holding the office is a doctorate or an illiterate. Also, there is no public interest involved in this issue. Even his privacy is affected,”the SG argued while opposing the CIC direction.
SG Mehta had further contended that the information sought has nothing to do with the PM’s role as a public figure.
“We cannot be asked to furnish the information to satisfy someone’s childish and irresponsible curiosity. Also, it should be noted that the information sought has nothing to do with his (Narendra Modi’s) role as a public figure,” he pointed out.
The SG emphasised that in accordance with the RTI Act, the information requested must be pertinent to the public activity.
Senior attorney Percy Kavina, who represented Arvind Kejriwal, responded to SG Mehta’s arguments. There was “no juvenile and reckless curiosity,” he declared.
“If you see the nomination form (filed during elections), it mentions his educational qualifications. Thus, we are asking for a degree certificate and not his marksheet,” Kavina said.
He continued by making it clear that, contrary to what the SG said, the degree was not accessible online.
