Tue Aug 26 14:30:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and rewritten news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Delhi High Court has overturned a 2016 order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that would have allowed an RTI activist to inspect Delhi University’s 1978 B.A. records, the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi graduated. The court ruled that while the information might be of interest to the public, it is not necessarily in the public interest to disclose personal academic records. The judgment also set aside a CIC order directing the CBSE to share BJP leader Smriti Irani’s Class X and XII records. The court emphasized the university’s fiduciary duty to protect student information and the potential for misuse if such records were readily available.

**News Article:**

**Delhi High Court Quashes Order to Disclose PM Modi’s University Records**

**NEW DELHI, August 25, 2025** – The Delhi High Court has ruled against the disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 1978 Bachelor of Arts degree records from Delhi University (DU), setting aside a 2016 order by the Central Information Commission (CIC). The court deemed the requested information as not being demonstrably in the public interest and highlighted the potential for misuse of personal academic data.

Justice Sachin Dutta, in a 175-page judgment, stated that while information may be “of interest to the public,” it does not automatically qualify for disclosure under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The ruling effectively overturns the CIC’s directive to DU to allow an RTI activist to inspect its register of 1978 B.A. graduates.

The court also struck down a CIC order compelling the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to release the Class X and XII records of BJP leader Smriti Irani.

DU had challenged the CIC order, arguing that releasing the personal information of its students, including those from 1978, would violate its fiduciary responsibility and have “far-reaching adverse consequences” for universities across the country. The university argued that such disclosure would open the floodgates to indiscriminate demands driven by curiosity rather than legitimate public interest.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing DU, had previously argued that the RTI Act should not be used to satisfy personal curiosity. Justice Dutta agreed with DU’s argument, emphasizing the university’s duty to maintain confidentiality with regard to students’ academic records.

The court’s decision underscores the importance of balancing the public’s right to information with the protection of personal data and the potential for its misuse.

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