RTI Can't Be Used For "Childish Curiosity": University On PM Degree Row

In 2016, the Gujarat HC stayed an order asking the Ahmedabad-based university to provide information on the degree earned by PM Modi

The Gujarat University on Thursday told the High Court here the Right to Information Act can not be used for satisfying someone's "childish curiosity" as it defended its petition seeking the quashing of an order under the transparency law to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.

Citing exceptions granted under the RTI Act for not complying with the seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commission (CIC), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the university, argued that merely because someone is holding a public office, one can not seek his private information which is not connected with his public activity.

Mr Mehta submitted that information about PM's degrees is "already in public domain" and the university had also placed the details on its website in the past, and claimed the 2005 Act is being used for settling scores and to make "childish jabs" against opponents.

However, Mr Kejriwal's advocate claimed information about PM's degrees was not available in public domain as claimed by Mehta.