New Delhi— The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed Delhi University to file its response to petitions seeking condonation of delay in appeals challenging an earlier order concerning the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bachelor’s degree details.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela granted three weeks to the university to submit its objections. The bench was informed that there had been a delay in filing the appeals against the single judge’s August 25 order, which had set aside the Central Information Commission (CIC)’s directive for disclosure.
“Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appears for the respondent (Delhi University). Objection to the applications seeking condonation of delay may be filed within three weeks. Response to the said objection, if any, be filed by the appellants in two weeks thereafter,” the court ordered, listing the matter for further hearing on January 16, 2026.
The appeals were filed by RTI activist Neeraj, Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, and advocate Mohd Irshad. The single judge’s order in question had overturned the CIC’s 2016 decision allowing inspection of Delhi University records for students who cleared the BA exam in 1978 — the year Prime Minister Modi reportedly completed his degree.
In his August ruling, the single judge held that holding public office does not automatically make all personal information subject to public disclosure, noting that there was no “implicit public interest” in the sought information. The judge emphasized that the Right to Information Act was intended to foster transparency in governance, not to fuel “sensationalism.”
The court also observed that educational qualifications were not legally required to hold public office and that the CIC’s approach in ordering disclosure was “thoroughly misconceived.” The same ruling had also set aside a similar CIC order that directed the CBSE to release former Union minister Smriti Irani’s school records.
