Can show PM Modi’s degree to Court, but not to strangers: DU to Delhi High Court
Delhi University (DU) has informed the Delhi High Court that it is willing to show Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bachelor of Arts degree from 1978 to the court but cannot disclose it to strangers under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. This stance was presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who argued that while DU has no objection to showing the degree to the court, it cannot expose it to public scrutiny due to privacy concerns.
The case revolves around a Central Information Commission (CIC) order from December 2016, which directed DU to allow inspection of records of all students who passed the BA program in 1978. DU challenged this order in 2017, and the High Court stayed it on the first day of hearing.
Mehta emphasized that the right to privacy supersedes the right to know in this case, especially when the information sought is not in the public interest but rather for personal or political motives. He questioned whether anyone can demand the degree of an individual among lakhs of students simply out of curiosity.
The Delhi High Court has reserved its verdict on DU’s plea against the CIC order.
