Delhi University to HC on Modi’s degree: Interest to public not same as public interest

The DU holds students’ degrees and marksheets successful a fiduciary capableness and a grade “is idiosyncratic accusation for a student,” Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, appearing connected behalf of DU, told the court.

He made the submission successful a 2017 plea filed by DU challenging an bid of the CIC, which had directed inspection of records of students who passed the BA programme successful 1978.

“(A) 3rd idiosyncratic cannot conscionable locomotion successful and accidental I privation details of ‘ABC’ conscionable due to the fact that I americium curious… The contiguous lawsuit is simply a classical lawsuit of a busybody… University is nether work to contradict accusation of a backstage quality unless it is of nationalist interest… Educational qualification is considered arsenic private… (RTI is) abused, misused… it is simply a designation now, being an RTI activist,” Mehta submitted earlier the court.

“Mere curiosity that ‘I privation to cognize astir it what is your objection’ cannot beryllium an argument. Public whitethorn get funny successful thing but it whitethorn not beryllium nationalist interest..Is determination immoderate nationalist involvement successful this matter? Answer successful the facts of this lawsuit is no,” Mehta said.

Mehta besides relied connected a determination of the Gujarat High Court successful 2023 to quash a CIC bid directing the Gujarat University to hunt for accusation astir PM Modi’s grade from the varsity connected the crushed that the acquisition degrees of a pupil autumn nether the exemption of disclosure of idiosyncratic accusation granted nether the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

Meanwhile, elder advocator Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the RTI applicant who had sought the accusation from DU, said successful his counterargument that specified accusation is considered nationalist information, displayed successful noticeboards and newspapers. “This is the accusation based connected which radical marque decisions…even matrimonial decisions are made connected whether they are a postgraduate oregon not…The information that it refers to an aged grade does not immunise it from being republished,” said Hegde.

Hegde impressed that “whether a idiosyncratic has passed oregon failed an exam, determination is decidedly nationalist involvement successful its disclosure.”

“There whitethorn beryllium offices which necessitate qualification and offices which don’t….Public involvement weighs towards disclosure and against concealment. Public involvement successful radical holding elected offices necessitate disclosures of a batch of things, including assets and liabilities…when it comes to a question of world qualification of a person, what is simply a nationalist authorization obliged to do?” Hegde added.

The tribunal kept the substance for further information connected February 19.