NEW DELHI: Amid the row over her educational qualification, Union Minister Smriti Irani asked the Delhi University not to disclose it to an RTI applicant, the School of Open Learning (SoL) has told the Central Information Commission.
During a hearing, SoL’s central public information officer O P Tanwar said considering that it was third party information, he had consulted Irani about the disclosure. “In her response (she) raised objection against (sic) disclosure and requested the public authority not to reveal her educational qualification. The CPIO pleaded that information sought was given by the former HRD Minister in fiduciary capacity and hence could not be divulged as per Section 8(1)(e),” information commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said in his order.
The Commission has now directed the SoL to produce before it all records related to the educational details of Irani who is the Union Textiles Minister.
A fresh show cause notice has been issued to the Central Public Information Officer of DU for having failed to produce the records before the Commission as directed.
The petitioner had sought to know from the SoL whether the minister had obtained BA degree in 1996 and passed B Com Part I in 1994 from Delhi University. He had also asked for photocopies of her hall ticket and mark sheets, besides admission form with enrollment number, in case she enrolled herself for the course but did not obtain the degree. The petitioner further sought to know if Irani was enrolled with the University in 2013 why did she not take any examination.
The SoL cited two exemption clauses — personal information and fiduciary information — under the RTI Act to deny the information.
Following this, the petitioner filed a complaint and asked the CIC to institute an inquiry into “unjustifiable and illegal” denial of information sought by him.
In her affidavit for the 2004 Lok Sabha polls, Irani had said she completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of Correspondence as SoL was then called), whereas in another affidavit of July 11, 2011, to contest Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat, she said her highest educational qualification was B.Com Part I, the petitioner had alleged in a city court. The matter was dismissed by the court on the ground that considerable time had lapsed in filing the complaint.