Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu, who hit media headlines after he ordered the inspection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree in Delhi University has now been barred from hearing an appeal linked to educational qualification of Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani.
Quoting CIC sources, Indian Express reported that the office of Acharyulu had written a note on Thursday that all cases related to the Ministry of HRD which were listed for Friday onwards will be heard by Information Commissioner Manjula Parashar.
Acharyulu had lost his responsibility for the ministry of HRD after he ordered inspection of Modi’s degrees.
The order had said that all complaints and appeals related to HRD Ministry will now be looked into by another Information Commissioner Manjula Parashar.
On 18 January, Acharyulu had dismissed school board CBSE’s argument the educational qualifications were personal information and could not be disclosed adding that Irani’s board exam results be made public.
The order, almost identical to that of in the case of Modi, read, “When a public representative declares his educational qualifications, the voter has a right to check that declaration… Smriti Irani, being an elected MP, is a public authority under RTI.”
In his order Acharyulu asked the textiles ministry and Delhi’s Holy Child Auxilium School, where Irani claims she took her board exams, to provide her roll number.
Although a lower court had dismissed a petition filed by a freelance writer, who requested for Irani’s degrees to be made public, the Delhi University had last year sensationally told that documents related to her educational qualifications were missing.
Ever since Irani was handpicked by Modi to head the Union HRD Ministry, several opposition parties had questioned the PM’s decision citing her lack of higher education.