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

The Gujarat high court also imposed costs of ₹25,000 on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who had sought details of the PM's degree certificate.

Updated on: Mar 31, 2023, 15:34:38 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Gujarat high court on Friday ruled that the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) need not furnish the degree and post-graduate degree certificate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A single-judge bench of Justice Biren Vaishnav set aside the order of the Chief Information Commission (CIC) directing the public information officer (PIO) of PMO and the PIOs of Gujarat University and Delhi University to furnish details of Modi's graduate and postgraduate degrees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Photo: AP) (MINT_PRINT)

The Gujarat high court also imposed costs of ₹25,000 on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal who had sought details of the PM's degree certificate. The high court was hearing an appeal filed by the Gujarat University which challenged the order of Chief Information Commission.

“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.

According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he completed his graduation from the Gujarat University in 1978 and post-graduation from Delhi University in 1983.

On the other hand, Kejriwal's lawyer Percy Kavina argued,"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”.

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