Delhi HC sets aside CIC order to disclose info on Smriti Iranis educational records

new delhi: the delhi high court on monday set aside an order of the central information commission (cic) directing cbse to provide copies of the class x and xii records of bjp leader smriti irani.justice sachin datta said her educational qualifications were not in the nature of any statutory requirement for holding any public office or discharging official responsibilities.the court allowed the petition of central board of secondary education (cbse) challenging the cic's january 17, 2017 order which directed it to “facilitate inspection of relevant records and provide certified copies of documents selected by the appellant free of cost, except personal details in admit card and mark sheet.”the cic orders were stated to be “de-hors” or out of scope of the rti act provisions.justice datta also decided the matter over pm narendra modi's degree in his 175-page judgment. in pm's case, delhi university challenged the cic order asking it to disclose details related to his bachelor's degree. the court set aside the cic order in pm modi's case, holding it to be “personal information” and ruling out any “implicit public interest.”in irani's case, the high court similarly found “no implicit public interest” with respect to the information sought under rti.the court said disclosure of academic details without overriding public interest would amount to intrusion into the personal sphere, which is constitutionally protected post k s puttaswamy judgment.it added that the rti act was enacted to promote transparency in government functioning, not to provide fodder for sensationalism.the rti application was filed by mohd naushadudin seeking cbse records to confirm whether smriti irani cleared matriculation in 1991 and intermediate in 1993, along with copies of her admit cards and mark sheets.the pio denied the request, and the first appellate authority upheld it. the applicant then approached cic, which directed cbse to provide the information.