I/II. http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/provide-details-of-degrees-earned-by-pm-modi-to-kejriwal-cic-to-delhi-university-2776727/
Provide details of degrees earned by PM Modi to Kejriwal: CIC to Delhi University Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu also directed the Prime Minister's Office to provide "specific number and year" of the degrees of Prime Minister to his alma mater-- Delhi University and Gujarat University-- to make it easy for them to locate these records. By: PTI | New Delhi | Updated: April 29, 2016 8:35 pm Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Left) and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal. In an unusual move, Central Information Commission on Friday directed Delhi University and Gujarat University to provide information on degrees earned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who had criticised the functioning of the transparency panel. ***Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu also directed the Prime Minister’s Office to provide “specific number and year” of the degrees of Prime Minister to his alma mater– Delhi University and Gujarat University– to make it easy for them to locate these records.*** [Emphasis added.] “Not prescribing the education (degree based) qualification for contesting electoral offices is one of the great features of Indian democracy. What needed is education and not degrees. However, when a citizen holding the position of Chief Ministership wants to know the degree related information of the Prime Minister, it will be proper to disclose,” Acharyulu said in the order as he treated explanation from Kejriwal as an RTI application. The Information Commissioner said, “The Commission directs the CPIOs of Delhi University and Gujarat University to make best possible search for the information regarding degrees in the name of “Mr Narendra Damodar Modi” in the year 1978 (Graduation in DU) and 1983 (Post Graduation in GU) and provide it to the appellant Mr Kejriwal as soon as possible.” The genesis of the case is in two previous CIC orders and a scathing letter from Kejriwal to Acharyulu where he demanded that while he was ready to share information sought by RTI applicants, the CIC must also order disclosure of educational qualifications of the Prime Minister. In the case of Hans Raj Jain, who sought the details of the students who passed in 1978 with names starting from N (Narendra) and M (Modi), the Delhi University had claimed that it will not be possible to search from lakhs of external students unless roll number was provided. The case was closed by Acharyulu as under “complaint proceedings” in RTI Act disclosure of information cannot be ordered by the CIC and to levy penalty there should be malafide on the part of the Central Public Information Officer which could not be proved. In another case related to one Neeraj Pandey, who sought information about electoral photo identity card of Delhi Chief Minister, Acharyulu had sought explanation from Kejriwal why he as an MLA be not declared as Public authority under the RTI Act and why his party too was not brought under the Act. Kejriwal in his response did not object to disclosure of information about him but raised a demand for information about Prime Minister’s educational qualifications referring to Hans Raj Jain case, Acharyulu noted. “He stated that while CIC wanted Mr Kejriwal’s information to be given, CIC was obstructing the information about degrees of Mr Modi, the Prime Minister. He expressed surprise over this and also doubted objectivity of the Commission,” Acharyulu said. He said educational qualification related information about public authority or public servant or political leader occupying constitutional position is not hit by any exception under Section 8 of the RTI Act. “It cannot be stated as personal or private information also. In fact, the information about educational degrees of Prime Minister is already in public domain,” he said. Citing an interview of Modi with journalist Rajeev Shukla, where he gives details of his educational qualifications, the Information Commissioner said it generated lot of curiosity among the people. “The curiosity cannot be equated with public interest. Just because public is interested in it, it does not mean that it is in public interest. There is no educational qualification prescribed for contesting any electoral position under law. The election to Lok Sabha or Prime Ministership cannot be questioned on the point of educational qualification,” Acharyulu said. Acharyulu said where there is a prescribed educational qualification for a position and its existence was doubted, the disclosure will be in public interest which is not the point in this case. The Information Commissioner quoted a comment of his father M S Acharya, a freedom fighter, when Telugu University wanted his educational qualifications for being eminent journalist. II. http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-modis-office-asked-to-give-specific-details-of-his-degrees-to-delhi-university-1400931 PM Modi's Office Asked To Give Specific Details Of His Degrees To Delhi University All India | Reported by Sidharth Pandey, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Updated: April 29, 2016 20:36 IST [Video] PM Modi had declared while contesting the 2014 national election that he has a BA degree from the Delhi University and a Master's from the Gujarat University. NEW DELHI: HIGHLIGHTS Delhi CM Kejriwal had demanded PM's education to be made public PM Modi, in 2014 polls, declared he has a BA and a Master's degree Earlier, Delhi University rejected an RTI query on PM's bachelor degree Arvind Kejriwal's letter demanding details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's education has become a formal RTI query to which the Information Commission has asked for a response. The PM's office has been asked for details like his roll number so that the Delhi University and Gujarat University can dig out information about his degree for Mr Kejriwal. The Delhi Chief Minister had written an acerbic letter to Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu yesterday accusing him of covering up the PM's educational qualifications. That letter is being treated as an RTI query as "it is appropriate to disclose information when asked for by a Chief Minister," says the Commission, which recently rejected a similar query. Mr Kejriwal tweeted this evening: We welcome CIC decision. All speculations wud be put to rest now https://t.co/bnj6hA2Yhf - Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 29, 2016 PM Modi had declared while contesting the 2014 national election that he has a BA degree from the Delhi University and a Master's from the Gujarat University. To an RTI petition on the PM's degrees earlier this month, the Delhi University said it didn't have details needed to track down such information, like his roll number. ***Another query by a Delhi resident on "how many people with the name of Narendra Modi had passed BA in 1978 by correspondence" was also denied, partly on grounds of national security.*** [Emphasis added.] Mr Kejriwal wrote: "I have no objections to my record being made public. But I have learnt that you have blocked information on Narendra Modi's degree. The entire country wants to know the truth. Despite that you refused to release details of his degree. Why did you do this? It is wrong." Last month, acting on an RTI query on Mr Kejriwal, the Information Commission had said the Chief Minister is a public authority and asked him whether he had any objections to his details being made public. "You want everything about me out in the public domain, to which I have no objections. But I am amazed that you want to hide information on Narendra Modi's degree. It raises the suspicion of people - is the commission really impartial?" Mr Kejriwal wrote. -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
