Times of India: New Delhi: Friday, 28 February 2025.
Delhi University on Thursday informed Delhi High Court that it is willing to show its records on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to the court but not disclose it to strangers under the Right to Information (RTI).
Appearing before justice
Sachin Datta, solicitor general Tushar Mehta made the submission, following
which the court reserved its verdict on DU's plea against a CIC order directing
disclosure of information with respect to the bachelor's degree of the Prime
Minister.
"DU has no reservation in showing it to the court but can't put the university's record for scrutiny by strangers," Mehta said. The order of the CIC, he said, deserved to be set aside for the "right to privacy" superseded the "right to know".
The senior law officer submitted that the RTI applicant sought the degree of an erstwhile student who is the Prime Minister. "As a university, we have nothing to hide. We have the year-wise record. There is a degree from 1978, Bachelor of Arts," Mehta submitted.
Following an RTI plea by one Neeraj seeking details of all students who wrote the exam in 1978, the Central Information Commission (CIC) on Dec 21, 2016, allowed inspection of records of all students who cleared the BA exam in 1978 the year Prime Minister Modi also took it.
HC, however, stayed the CIC order on Jan 23, 2017. The lawyers for the RTI pleas defended the CIC's order on the ground that the RTI provided for disclosure of PM's educational information in greater public good.
On Thursday, Mehta said the right to know was not "untrammelled" and personal information of an individual, which was unrelated to public interest, is protected from disclosure. He cautioned against the misuse of the RTI Act by "activists" and said allowing disclosure in the case would result in the varsity being exposed to RTI pleas in relation to lakhs of its students. The law, he said, was not for "free people" who were "out to satisfy their curiosity" or "embarrass" others.
Delhi University on Thursday informed Delhi High Court that it is willing to show its records on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to the court but not disclose it to strangers under the Right to Information (RTI).
"DU has no reservation in showing it to the court but can't put the university's record for scrutiny by strangers," Mehta said. The order of the CIC, he said, deserved to be set aside for the "right to privacy" superseded the "right to know".
The senior law officer submitted that the RTI applicant sought the degree of an erstwhile student who is the Prime Minister. "As a university, we have nothing to hide. We have the year-wise record. There is a degree from 1978, Bachelor of Arts," Mehta submitted.
Following an RTI plea by one Neeraj seeking details of all students who wrote the exam in 1978, the Central Information Commission (CIC) on Dec 21, 2016, allowed inspection of records of all students who cleared the BA exam in 1978 the year Prime Minister Modi also took it.
HC, however, stayed the CIC order on Jan 23, 2017. The lawyers for the RTI pleas defended the CIC's order on the ground that the RTI provided for disclosure of PM's educational information in greater public good.
On Thursday, Mehta said the right to know was not "untrammelled" and personal information of an individual, which was unrelated to public interest, is protected from disclosure. He cautioned against the misuse of the RTI Act by "activists" and said allowing disclosure in the case would result in the varsity being exposed to RTI pleas in relation to lakhs of its students. The law, he said, was not for "free people" who were "out to satisfy their curiosity" or "embarrass" others.
.JPG)
.JPG)
