NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Delhi University (DU) challenging an order from India’s Central Information Commission (CIC) that directed the university to disclose details of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s undergraduate degree.
The case stems from a Right to Information (RTI) request filed by activist Neeraj Kumar, who sought the results of all students who appeared for the Bachelor of Arts (BA) examination in 1978, the year Modi is said to have completed his degree.
However, DU refused to disclose the records, arguing that they contained third-party information protected under the RTI Act.
Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, representing DU, told the court that the university had no objection to presenting the records before the court but opposed their public disclosure.
“There is a degree from 1978, Bachelor of Arts,” Mehta stated, as quoted by The Indian Express. However, he maintained that curiosity alone did not justify seeking private information under RTI law.
The case has gained traction due to longstanding inconsistencies surrounding Modi’s academic credentials.
While some video clips circulating on social media show Modi stating that he never attended university, in other videos he is claiming to have completed his degree through a correspondence course.
Adding to the confusion, media reports have pointed to inconsistencies in names and dates on Modi’s degree certificates.
The controversy also extends to Modi’s Master’s degree from Gujarat University. The degree certificate reportedly lists his qualification as “Master of Arts in Entire Political Science,” a designation that does not exist in the university’s academic offerings.
The Gujarat High Court previously dismissed a petition seeking access to these records on technical grounds.
During court proceedings, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing RTI applicant Neeraj Kumar, argued that universities traditionally make such academic records public. He stated that exam results were commonly published on notice boards, university websites, and even in newspapers.
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The Delhi High Court had initially stayed the CIC’s 2016 order directing DU to disclose records. The university has since maintained that it holds the information in a “fiduciary capacity” and that its release would breach student privacy under the RTI Act.
Notably, the university’s reluctance to disclose the records has led to speculation that political pressure may be influencing its stance.
Transparency activists, including members of the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI), have intervened in the case, questioning why DU considers the 1978 results confidential when it routinely publishes examination results for other years online. The matter remains a key test for transparency and accountability in India’s public institutions.
