Delhi HC Directs Delhi University To Respond To Pleas In PM Modi Degree Disclosure Case

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday instructed Delhi University (DU) to file its response to petitions seeking the condonation of delay in filing appeals related to the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bachelor’s degree details. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela gave the university three weeks to submit its objections.

The appeals challenge an August 25 order by a single judge that had set aside a Central Information Commission (CIC) directive to disclose Modi’s degree records. The judge had ruled that holding public office does not make all aspects of an individual’s personal information open to public scrutiny, stating that the Right to Information (RTI) Act promotes transparency in governance but is “not meant to fuel sensationalism.”

The court also noted that educational qualifications are not a statutory requirement for occupying public office. The matter will next be heard on January 16, 2026.

The appeals were filed by RTI activist Neeraj, AAP leader Sanjay Singh, and advocate Mohd Irshad, contesting the single judge’s decision. They argue that public access to the Prime Minister’s academic records is a matter of transparency and accountability.

Previously, the CIC, acting on an RTI request in 2016, had allowed the inspection of DU’s 1978 BA exam records — the year in which Modi reportedly graduated. However, DU sought to block this disclosure, maintaining that the university had no issue showing records to the court but objected to public access.

The single judge had called the CIC’s earlier decision “thoroughly misconceived,” adding that if educational qualifications were legally required for public office, the situation might have been different.