Gujarat HC says PM Modi need not furnish his degrees, imposes ₹25,000 fine on Kejriwal

Gujarat High Court on Friday quashed the order directing the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to furnish the graduation and post-graduate degree certificates of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Gujarat HC also imposed costs of Rs 25,000 on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal who had sought details of PM Modi's educational qualifications. The decision was announced by a single-judge Justice Biren Vaishnav who 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 PM Modi's degrees.

Arvind Kejriwal reacts to Court's decision

"Doesn't the country even have the right to know how much their PM has read? He vehemently opposed showing the degree in the court. Why? And those who demand to see their degree will be fined? What is this happening?" Kejriwal questioned in a tweet. "Illiterate or less educated PM is very dangerous for the country," he added. 

PM Modi completed his graduation from Gujarat University in 1978 and got his post-graduation degree from Delhi University in 1983. It was in 2016 when Kejriwal first alleged that PM Modi's degrees are fake and was persistent in his demand to see the real ones. In the same year, he approached the CIC asking it to make the PM's qualifications public. Gujarat University then moved the court with a petition against the CIC order to provide information about PM Modi's educational qualifications.

Appearing for Gujarat University, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued against Kejriwal's representative Percy Kavina that the information sought must be related to public activity as per the provisions of the RTI act. Mehta also said that the degrees were already available on the internet, a claim which was countered by Kavina. The latter said that the absence of the degrees from the internet is why Kejriwal sought the copy.