The Big Story: Truth and lies

The controversy about Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani’s educational qualifications made a comeback on Thursday. The Central Information Commission revealed that when Irani was the human resource development minister in 2014, she had instructed Delhi University not to reveal her educational background to a petitioner who had sought copies of her degree certificates under the Right to Information Act.

This RTI petition had been filed after it came to light that Irani had provided contradictory information about her qualifications in the affidavits she filed for elections in 2004, 2011 and 2014. In 2004, she had said that she completed a BA in 1996 through correspondence whereas in 2014, her election documents stated that she held a B Com Part 1 degree.

The commission has now directed Delhi University to produce all relevant records connected to Irani, who was human resource development minister till July 2016. The commission has also issued a show-cause notice to the institution asking it to explain why it had not followed the RTI Act properly.

Irani’s case is not the only one that has embarrassed the Bharatiya Janata Party. Last year, the Aam Aadmi Party made serious allegations about the educational background of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose election documents said he held both graduate and post-graduate degrees. However, the 1978 degree submitted by the prime minister was alleged to have been awarded to “Narendra Mahavir Modi” even though his official name is Narendra Damodardas Modi. The post-graduate degree obtained in 1983 from the Gujarat University has been disputed by a former faculty member Jayanti Patel, who alleged the courses mentioned as part of the “Entire Political Science” degree did not match the syllabus taught at that time.

Like Irani, Modi too seems to be reluctant to allow public scrutiny of his degrees. On January 11, Information Commissioner MS Acharyalu was divested of the human resource development portfolio after he allowed inspections of Modi’s BA degree at the Delhi University.

Election laws in India do not mandate a minimum education to contest assembly and parliamentary polls. This was a deliberate position taken by the founders of the Constitution, keeping in mind the fact that many Indians still struggle to get basic education. A minimum qualification is also seen as being exclusionary. The attempt to link education and the ability to administer has been proved wrong time and again by those who have held high office in the past.

However, these two cases have serious implications on governance and the election process. The question is not whether Modi and Irani have higher educational qualifications but if they lied in their sworn affidavits to contest elections. If they did, the “clean image” that the BJP government has attempted to project would take a serious dent. This would also call into question the very legitimacy of the prime minister’s election.

This said, the way the two cases have been handled by the government has undermined the RTI Act, which seeks to ensure transparency and help the public hold those in power to account. The government must explain why a senior officer of the Central Information Commission was stripped off his portfolio just days after he passed an order in Modi’s case. Acting against officials who follow the law will have a chilling effect on the bureaucracy, which will automatically weaken the fight against corruption.

The Big Scroll

Anjali Modi writes on why politicians constantly lie about their educational qualifications.

Subscribe to “The Daily Fix” by either downloading Scroll’s Android app or opting for it to be delivered to your mailbox. If you have thoughts or suggestions about the Fix, please email rohan@scroll.in.

Punditry

  1. In the Indian Express, Raja Vemula, the brother of Rohith Vemula, explains why the questions that came with brother’s suicide last year have still not been answered. 
  2. Geeta Gouri elaboratesin Mint on how digital payments could fight cartelisation.
  3. In The Hindu, TP Sreenivasan writes on how Barack Obama could function as a serious opposition leader in the Trump presidency.
  4. Srinath Raghavan in the Hindustan Times saysthat failing to empower the chief of defence staff properly could have serious implications for the armed forces. 

Giggles

Don’t miss

Based on an IndiaSpend survey, Alison Saldanha reports on how demonetisation has eroded the business of small traders in Mumbai.

“Business is now slowly recovering” was the conclusion of 60% of respondents in Mumbai district and its peripheral areas of Ghodbunder and Mira-Bhayander of Thane district.

As many as 75% of respondents in the semi-urban and peri-urban areas between Virar and Vasai in Palghar district said there was no significant improvement.”