Is PM Modi Educated? High Court Rules Against Disclosure of Prime Minister’s Degree Details

Is PM Modi Educated? High Court Rules Against Disclosure of Prime Minister’s Degree Details

RMN News Report Highlights:

• The Delhi High Court has ruled that Delhi University is not obligated to disclose the details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 1978 graduation degree, overturning a 2016 Central Information Commission (CIC) order.
• Delhi University argued that the “right to privacy” outweighs the “right to know” and that student information is held in a fiduciary capacity, not for “mere curiosity”.
• This legal decision comes amid a contentious political environment where opposition parties, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and its leader Arvind Kejriwal, have consistently questioned PM Modi’s educational qualifications.
• Previously, the Gujarat High Court fined then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Rs. 25,000 for seeking Modi’s degree details through a Right to Information (RTI) application.

By Rakesh Raman
New Delhi | August 25, 2025

Legal Battle Over Prime Minister’s Qualifications Intensifies

The Delhi High Court on August 25 set aside a 2016 order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) that had directed the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Gujarat University, and Delhi University to provide information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s graduation and post-graduation degrees. The ruling states that Delhi University is not obliged to disclose details of PM Modi’s 1978 graduation degree.

During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Delhi University, argued that the CIC’s order on an RTI application should be quashed because the “right to privacy” outweighs the “right to know”. The university maintained that it holds student information in a fiduciary capacity and that “mere curiosity,” in the absence of a larger public interest, does not justify seeking private details under the RTI law. While the university stated its willingness to present Prime Minister Modi’s degree records before the court, it argued against disclosing them for “scrutiny by strangers” under the RTI Act.

In contrast, Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, representing the RTI applicant Neeraj Sharma, defended the CIC’s order, asserting that the Right to Information (RTI) Act permits the disclosure of the Prime Minister’s educational records in the larger public interest. Hegde also noted that such information is typically published by universities on notice boards, websites, and even in newspapers.

Ultimately, Justice Sachin Datta allowed the university’s appeal and set aside the Commissioner’s order. This legal battle has persisted despite the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) producing copies of the degrees and universities publicly affirming their validity.

Opposition’s “Show Your Degree” Campaign and Allegations

Prime Minister Modi’s educational qualifications have become a significant political flashpoint, with opposition parties, particularly the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), leading the charge in questioning the authenticity of his degrees. In 2023, the AAP, under then Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, launched a “Show Your Degree” campaign, where AAP leaders publicly displayed their own educational qualifications and urged leaders of other parties to do the same. The primary aim of this initiative was to highlight the assertion that Modi is an uneducated man.

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Kejriwal had previously sought Modi’s degree through a Right to Information (RTI) application, a move that resulted in the Gujarat High Court fining him Rs. 25,000. Following the fine, Kejriwal publicly questioned whether the people of the country have the right to know how educated their Prime Minister is, lamenting that those asking for Modi’s degree are being penalized.

He has repeatedly stated that Modi is the “most corrupt and uneducated PM that India has seen in 75 years of its independence”. Earlier, in 2019, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also questioned Modi’s educational qualification, remarking that no one knows if Modi had ever attended a university.

Beyond educational qualifications, the sources cite broader criticisms of Modi, including claims that he “cannot utter even a single word about any modern subject” and that his “level of knowledge is not more than that of a bumpkin”. It is also alleged that Modi cannot speak even a single sentence properly in any language and requires constant help from a teleprompter, speaking in “broken English” even when reading pre-written speeches.

राहुल गांधी जी की एक और बात आज सच साबित हुई 👇

राहुल गांधी जी ने कहा था कि बिना #Teleprompter नरेंद्र मोदी एक शब्द नही बोल सकते pic.twitter.com/hosUm8NN1a

— With Congress (@WithCongress) January 18, 2022

Concerns Over Transparency and Governance

The controversy surrounding Modi’s educational background is intertwined with wider concerns about transparency and governance. Opposition parties are running the “वोट चोर, गद्दी  छोड़” (vote thief, quit throne) campaign, accusing Modi of winning elections by manipulating Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and committing other election frauds. It is “an open secret” that Modi is perceived as “the most illiterate PM that India has seen”.

Allegations also touch upon Modi’s past, referencing his alleged criminal record as explored in the 2023 BBC documentary, “India: The Modi Question,” and the previous revocation of his visa due to his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat mass murders. It is claimed that opposition leaders and court judges are fearful of challenging Modi’s alleged crimes.

Critics argue that because Modi is perceived as illiterate, “1.4 billion Indians are suffering in his regime under unprecedented poverty, corruption, inflation, unemployment, and religious animosity”. He is accused of “hoodwinking the voters – most of whom are illiterate like him – with false slogans and vulgar rhetoric delivered through his monologues”.

Furthermore, it is noted that Modi has not held a single press conference in India during his 11 years of rule and reportedly refuses to talk to journalists when abroad, leading to accusations that he has “tarnished India’s image in all parts of the world”.

Patriotic Indians – excluding a handful of Modi’s deaf and blind followers – feel ashamed of having an uneducated prime minister, with some believing he often appears in colorful costumes at some inauguration events or irrelevant office meetings to hide his illiteracy.

The call for India to progress in the knowledge-driven world emphasizes the need for a properly educated prime minister who could speak fluently on different topics of intellectual relevance.