Smriti asked DU not to give info about her degree

Union Minister Smriti Irani had asked the Delhi University (DU) not to share information about her educational qualification with a person seeking it under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, an official of the varsity has told the Central Information Commission (CIC).

O P Tanwar, assistant registrar with the university’s school of open learning (SoL) and designated as the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the DU, told the CIC that he had consulted Irani over disclosure of information, sought by the RTI applicant, as it was a third party information under the provisions of the transparency law.

“In her response (Irani) raised objection against (sic) disclosure and requested the public authority not to reveal her educational qualification,” Information Commissioner Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu noted in his order.

Irani, who is now Textile Minister, was then holding the HRD Ministry portfolio.

The university’s CPIO submitted before the CIC 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) of the RTI Act.