PMO need not furnish degree certificates of PM Modi: Gujarat HC

The Gujarat High Court ruled on Friday that the degree and post-graduate degree certificate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi are not required to be provided by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Judge Biren Vaishnav’s one-judge panel overturned the Chief Information Commission’s (CIC) directive to the PMO, Gujarat University, and Delhi University PIOs to provide information about Modi’s undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was also charged 25,000 rupees in expenses by the Gujarat high court for his request for the PM’s degree certificate’s specifics. The Gujarat University appealed the Chief Information Commission’s decision, and the high court was now hearing it.

“In a democracy, there won’t be a difference if a person holding the office is a doctorate or an illiterate. Also, there is no public interest involved in this issue. Even his privacy is affected”, legal website Bar and Bench quoted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the university.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that he earned his undergraduate degree from Gujarat University in 1978 and his postgraduate degree from Delhi University in 1983.

Kejriwal’s lawyer Percy Kavina argued that, “If you see the nomination form (filed during elections), it mentions his educational qualifications. Thus, we are asking for a degree certificate and not his marksheet”.