GUJARAT HIGH COURT UPHOLDS ₹25,000 COST ON KEJRIWAL IN PM MODI DEGREE CASE

September 29, 2026

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday dismissed Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal’s appeal in the case concerning disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s academic degree, upholding an earlier order that imposed a cost of ₹25,000 on him. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D.N. Ray found no grounds to interfere with the single-judge ruling.

The case originated in 2016, when the Central Information Commission (CIC) directed Gujarat University and Delhi University to provide information concerning Modi’s educational qualifications. The universities challenged the directive, and in March 2023, a single judge of the Gujarat High Court set aside the CIC’s order and imposed a ₹25,000 cost on Kejriwal.

During the appeal, Kejriwal’s counsel, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that the AAP leader had not persistently pursued the proceedings, disputing the basis for the financial penalty. He also submitted that the CIC had initiated the proceedings on its own initiative and that information about the degree, if already publicly available, should be considered under the Right to Information framework.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Gujarat University, opposed the appeal, arguing that the litigation had continued despite the university’s position that the relevant degree information was available online. He also contended that the RTI mechanism should not be used merely to satisfy public curiosity or impose unnecessary administrative burdens on public institutions.

Dismissing the appeal, the division bench upheld the 2023 judgment, including the ₹25,000 cost. The ruling leaves the original decision setting aside the CIC’s disclosure directive intact, concluding the latest stage of the legal dispute over access to information concerning the Prime Minister’s academic qualifications.