The Delhi High Court’s decision to set aside a petition seeking disclosure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational records under the Right to Information Act is more than just a legal ruling. It is a sober reminder that politics in India must return to issues, policies, and performance—not descend into the shallow alley of certificate-hunting. At the heart of the matter lies a simple principle: personal information, including academic records, cannot be dragged into the public domain unless it is linked to criminality or constitutional disqualification. The RTI Act itself provides these protections. The judiciary rightly observed that no citizen—whether Prime Minister or commoner—can be compelled to disclose personal records unless the law explicitly requires it. This is the cornerstone of privacy, and any democracy that erodes this protection in the name of political mudslinging risks weakening its own moral foundation. Let us also be brutally honest. The entire controversy was triggered by the mischief of one CIC member, for reasons best known to him. And, is it not a fact that the Indian Constitution does not prescribe educational qualifications for becoming a legislator, a minister, or even the Prime Minister? Our founding fathers deliberately kept it that way. The yardstick of leadership in a democracy is not degrees hanging on the wall but the mandate of the people. In fact, India has seen towering leaders—some highly educated, others barely schooled—who left indelible marks on governance. To demand otherwise is not only unconstitutional but also elitist. Interestingly, the same political forces now raising a ruckus over Modi’s academic records were up in arms when the BJP government in Haryana, in 2015, introduced educational qualifications for contesting panchayat elections. The rule mandated at least matriculation (10th pass) for men and Class 8 pass for women seeking to hold office. Back then, the Opposition howled that such a law was discriminatory, undemocratic, and against the spirit of universal representation. The Supreme Court upheld it, but political rhetoric raged against the BJP for “snatching” the poor’s right to contest. If minimum qualifications were unacceptable for grassroots governance, why the sudden obsession with Modi’s postgraduate degree? The double standards are glaring.
Let us call this what it is: politics of distraction. When policies falter, when Opposition benches are unable to mount a credible ideological or developmental critique, they resort to the lowest-hanging fruit—personal attacks. By chasing certificates, the Opposition unwittingly insults the very voters who handed Modi a decisive mandate, not once but thrice. Are we to believe that over 600 million voters were duped into electing someone unqualified? That assumption reeks of disdain for democracy itself. And if this game is to be played, let it be played fairly. Will Rahul Gandhi, scion of the Congress party, place his own academic records for public scrutiny? After all, questions about his educational claims have been raised more than once. Will Opposition leaders who lecture on transparency extend the same demand to themselves? Or is this a one-way street where Modi alone must be hounded while others are granted immunity? The truth is, in a democracy, leaders are judged not by degrees but by delivery. Modi’s governance record—whether one agrees or disagrees with his policies—is what must be critiqued. His foreign policy initiatives, economic stewardship, welfare schemes, and handling of internal security are legitimate areas of debate. By contrast, reducing political discourse to whether a Prime Minister has an MA in Political Science or not is not just juvenile—it is insulting to the maturity of Indian democracy. The Delhi High Court has rightly slammed the brakes on this endless fishing expedition. The Opposition would do well to take the cue. By persisting with this line of attack, they only diminish themselves. Instead of demanding mark sheets, they should demand accountability on inflation, unemployment, healthcare, and governance. That is how a responsible Opposition behaves. In the end, the question is simple: do we want our politics to be about ideas or about certificates? The Constitution already answered that in 1950. Degrees don’t make leaders—people’s trust does. The sooner the Opposition realises this, the better for India’s democracy.
