Just days after Information commissioner MS Acharyulu allowed the inspection of 1978 BA degree records of the Delhi University, he was removed from the charge of the Human Resources Development (HRD) Ministry.
According to reports, he has now been replaced by another Information Commissioner, Manjula Parashar.
It was only last month, that MS Acharyulu had directed Delhi University to provide a copy of the records of all students who completed their BA degree in 1978. Apparently, it was in 1978 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi got his degree. The university had earlier refused to make the details of any students public by stating that it was not a matter of public interest.
To which, Acharyuli responded saying that any matter relating to education did fall under the public category.
After a lot of hue and cry by the opposition parties about the Prime Minister’s educational qualifications, the BJP had claimed that the PM Modi had completed his graduation in Political Science from the Delhi University in the year 1978. The university had confirmed the same.
Acharyulu’s order came in response to an RTI filed by a man demanding the Delhi to disclose the number of people who appeared the BA exam in 1978. In his plea, he also urged the university to disclose their number and enrollment number. The Central Public Information officer, however, declined his request saying that making it public would mean invading the privacy of the student.
Recently, a fine of Rs 25,000 had been imposed on Delhi University’s Central Public Information Officer (CPIO), Meenakshi Sahay by the Central Information Commission (CIC) for rejecting an RTI application seeking information on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s graduation degree.
