The Gujarat High Court has dismissed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal in the case concerning the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational records. The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D.N. Ray upheld the earlier order and retained the ₹25,000 cost imposed on Kejriwal.
The dispute dates back to 2016, when the Central Information Commission (CIC) directed Gujarat University to provide information related to PM Modi’s degree. Gujarat University challenged the CIC’s direction before the Gujarat High Court. In March 2023, a single judge set aside the CIC order and imposed ₹25,000 in costs on Kejriwal. His subsequent appeal before the Division Bench has now been rejected.
The High Court held that the CIC had acted beyond its jurisdiction by treating Kejriwal’s written response in another proceeding as an RTI application. The court also held that educational records are protected personal information under Sections 8(1)(e) and 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, and that the case did not establish a larger public interest requiring disclosure.
