Smriti Irani's Board Exam Results To Be Made Public

New Delhi: Textiles Minister Smriti Irani's board exam results, over which a huge controversy has been on, are expected to be made public after the Central Information Commission today dismissed school board CBSE's contention that it was personal information and cannot be disclosed. The Commission asked the CBSE to allow the inspection of the minister's records from Class 10 and 12 boards.

The direction from Information Commissioner M Sridhar Acharyulu -- who also allowed the inspection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's academic records earlier this month -- said the CBSE should "facilitate inspection of relevant records and provide certified copies of documents" within 60 days. The only information that can be withheld are personal details in the minister's admit card and marksheet.

Contending that the information has been in public domain since the declaration of results, the order 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."

The Textiles Ministry office and Delhi's Holy Child Auxilium School -- from where Ms Irani claims to have taken her board exams -- have been asked to provide her roll number. The records for the years 1991 and 1993 are yet to be digitised and the search will have to be carried out manually, the commission said.

The Information Commissioner's order came after a an RTI appeal was filed on the minister's academic credentials by Mohammad  Nausdhaduddin, a resident of Jharkhand's Dhanbad.

After Ms Irani was named the education minister in 2014 -- the youngest member of PM Modi's cabinet - the opposition Congress argued that the sensitive portfolio should be handed only to someone more qualified.  A case is being heard in High Court over alleged discrepancies in in the education columns of her election affidavits.

The Delhi University has told the court that the documents pertaining to Ms Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, are yet to be found.

The minister has claimed she should not be judged by her degrees but by her work.