Smriti Irani was named the education minister in 2014 - the youngest in PM Modi's cabinet
After Central Information Commission's order asking CBSE to allow inspection of her Class X and XII records, Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani today said that people are free to scrutinise even her nursery records. "
Aap nursery ka bhi mang lo (you can ask for my nursery details too)," the minister, who formerly held the education portfolio, told reporters in Delhi. The CIC had yesterday rejected CBSE's contention that her educational qualification constituted "personal information".
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.
He said it was not correct to say that once a student passed an examination and qualified to secure a certificate or degree, information about result will be his/her personal information or was "invasion of privacy".
"If admit card contains personal information like address, contact number and email id, it is the personal information of the candidate and need not be given. But result or contents of certificate, division acquired, year and number along with father's name cannot be treated as personal or third party information," Mr Acharyulu said.
When a public representative declares his educational qualifications, the voter has a right to check that declaration, he had said in an order.
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.
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 had said that she should not be judged by her degrees but by her work.
(With inputs from PTI)