PM Modi's degree controversy: Delhi High Court quashes CIC order

PM Modi's degree controversy: Delhi High Court quashes CIC order

In a landmark judgment on August 25, 2025, the Delhi High Court quashed the 2016 order of the Central Information Commission (CIC) in the controversy over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree, which had allowed the University of Delhi to inspect the records of 1978 BA students. Prime Minister Modi had also completed his graduation that year. The court ruled that Modi's degree need not be made public. Let's know the brief details of this news in the polite and eloquent style of Urdu literature. Details of the controversy The controversy began in 2016 when RTI activist Neeraj Kumar sought details of the records of all students who completed their BA from Delhi University in 1978. The CIC had allowed the university to inspect these records on December 21, 2016. Delhi University challenged this order in the High Court in 2017, which the court immediately stayed. On August 25, 2025, Justice Sachin Dutta, while delivering the judgment, said that the university keeps the personal records of students as a ‘trust’, and it cannot be disclosed on the basis of mere curiosity. The arguments of the university and the government were presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The university said it was ready to show the records to the court, but disclosure of personal information to unrelated persons under RTI is a violation of the right to privacy. He said the purpose of RTI is public interest, not personal curiosity. On the other hand, Neeraj's lawyer Sanjay Hegde argued that the Prime Minister's educational qualifications are part of public interest, but the court preferred confidentiality. A user on X wrote: "Delhi High Court quashes CIC order to reveal PM Modi's degree." — @LiveLawIndia "The balance between confidentiality and transparency is difficult in the fight for rights." — A legal expert References India Today, Live Law, Times of India, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, X Post