On April 10, amid Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) “Show Your Degree” campaign, OpIndia published a detailed report on the education qualification of the party’s MLAs in Delhi. It was revealed that nearly half of the AAP MLAs had actually not got a degree. Apart from Delhi, Punjab is the other state where AAP is running a government, and the situation is not much different there either.
Based on the information collected via publicly available affidavits of the MLAs for the Punjab Assembly elections 2022, OpIndia found that 37 out of 92 AAP MLAs have not completed graduation. Four MLAs did not even pass the 10th standard. Twelve MLAs have completed 10th as their highest education while two have done diplomas after doing metric. One MLA left education after finishing 11th standard. Fifteen have completed education till the 12th, and three have done diplomas after the 12th. As per the regulations, it is a must for a candidate to mention the highest education he or she has gotten in the election affidavit.
Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann (Dhuri) is a college dropout himself. His highest education qualification is 12th, as per the affidavit submitted by him at the time of the elections. He handles Civil Aviation, General Administration, Home Affairs & Justice, Personnel, Vigilance, Industries and Commerce, Housing & Urban Development, Employment Generation, and Training and Jails ministries/departments.
MLAs who dropped out from school before passing 10th standard are Ashok Prashar Pappi (Ludhiana Central), Sarvan Singh Dhun (Khemkaran), Madan Lal Bagga (Ludhiana North) and Jagdeep Singh Brar (Muktsar).
Those who dropped out after 10th are Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal (Ajnala), Amansher Singh alias Shery Kalsi (Batala), Lal Chand Kataruchakk (Bhoa), Sheetal Angural (Jalandhar West), Gurmeet Singh Khudian (Lambi), Daljit Singh Grewal (Ludhiana East), Kulwant Singh (SAS Nagar), Hardeep Singh Mundian (Sahnewal), Jagtar Singh (Samrala), Harmit Singh Pathanmajra (Sanour), Kulwant Singh Bazigar (Shutrana) and Naresh Kataria (Zira).
Notably, Lal Chand handles Food and Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs, Forests, and Wild Life ministries/departments. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal handles Rural Development and Panchayats, NRI Affairs, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare ministries/departments.
Santosh Katariaa (Balachaur) and Jiwan Singh Sangowal (Gill) have done diplomas after the 10th, while Gurdit Singh Sekhon (Faridkot) dropped out after studying till 11th.
MLAs who dropped after completing 12th are Dalbir Singh Tong (Baba Bakala), Amandeep Singh’ Goldy’ Musafir (Balluana), Labh Singh Ugoke (Bhadaur), Jai Krishan Singh (Garhshankar), Gurlal Ghanaur (Ghanaur), Bram Shanker (Hoshiarpur), Tarunpreet Singh Sond (Khanna), Anmol Gagan Maan (Kharar), Sukhvir Maiser Khana (Maur), Gurdev Singh Dev Maan (Nabha), Laljit Singh Bhullar (Patti), Hakam Singh Thekedar (Raikot), Chetan Singh Jaura Majra (Samana), Manjinder Singh Lalpura (Sri Khadoor Sahib) and Jasvir Singh Raja Gill (Urmar).
Laljit Singh Bhullar handles Transport, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Diary Development, and Food Processing ministries/departments. Bram Shanker handles Water Supply & Sanitation, Revenue, Rehabilitation, and Disaster Management ministries/departments. Chetan Singh Jauramajra handles Freedom Fighters, Defence Services & Welfare, Information & Public Relations Department, and Horticulture ministries/departments. Anmol Gagan Mann handles Tourism & Cultural Affairs, Investment Promotion, and Labour and Hospitality ministries/departments.
Narinderpal Singh Sawna(Fazilka) and Master Jagsir Singh (Bhucho Mandi) did a diploma after the 12th and are among the ones who don’t possess a degree.
A complete list of AAP MLAs and their educational qualification are listed below.
| Name | Constituency | Education Qualification |
| Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal | Ajnala | 10th |
| Amansher Singh (Shery Kalsi) | Batala | 10th |
| Lal Chand Kataruchakk | Bhoa (SC) | 10th |
| Sheetal Angural | Jalandhar West (SC) | 10th |
| Gurmeet Singh Khudian | Lambi | 10th |
| Daljit Singh Grewal | Ludhiana East | 10th |
| Kulwant Singh | S.A.S. Nagar | 10th |
| Hardeep Singh Mundian | Sahnewal | 10th |
| Jagtar Singh | Samrala | 10th |
| Harmit Singh Pathanmajra | Sanour | 10th |
| Kulwant Singh Bazigar | Shutrana (SC) | 10th |
| Naresh Kataria | Zira | 10th |
| Santosh Katariaa | Balachaur | 10th ITI Technical course after |
| Jiwan Singh Sangowal | Gill (SC) | 10th/Diploma In typewriting |
| Gurdit Singh Sekhon | Faridkot | 11th |
| Dalbir Singh Tong | Baba Bakala (SC) | 12th |
| Amandeep Singh ‘Goldy’ Musafir | Balluana (SC) | 12th |
| Labh Singh Ugoke | Bhadaur | 12th |
| Jai Krishan Singh | Garhshankar | 12th |
| Gurlal Ghanaur | Ghanaur | 12th |
| Bram Shanker | Hoshiarpur | 12th |
| Tarunpreet Singh Sond | Khanna | 12th |
| Anmol Gagan Maan | Kharar | 12th |
| Sukhvir Maiser Khana | Maur | 12th |
| Gurdev Singh Dev Maan | Nabha (SC) | 12th |
| Laljit Singh Bhullar | Patti | 12th |
| Hakam Singh Thekedar | Raikot (SC) | 12th |
| Chetan Singh Jaura Majra | Samana | 12th |
| Manjinder Singh Lalpura | Sri Khadoor Sahib | 12th |
| Jasvir Singh Raja Gill | Urmar | 12th |
| Narinderpal Singh Sawna | Fazilka | 12th Advanced Diploma in Child Education & Applied Psychology |
| Master Jagsir Singh | Bhucho Mandi (SC) | 12th JBT Diploma |
| Bhagwant Mann | Dhuri | 12th/College dropout |
| Ashok Prashar Pappi | Ludhiana Central | 7th |
| Sarvan Singh Dhun | Khemkaran | 8th |
| Madan Lal Bagga | Ludhiana North | 9th |
| Jagdeep Singh Brar | Muktsar | 9th |
| Balkar Singh | Kartarpur (SC) | B Ed |
| Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer | Barnala | B Tech |
| Amritpal Singh Sukhanand | Bhagha Purana | B Tech |
| Amolak Singh | Jaitu (SC) | B Tech |
| Kuljit Singh Randhawa | Dera Bassi | BA |
| Devinder Singh Laddi Dhos | Dharamkot | BA |
| Ranveer Singh Bhullar | Firozpur City | BA |
| Raman Arora | Jalandhar Central | BA |
| Gurpreet Gogi | Ludhiana West | BA |
| Kulwant Singh Pandori | Mehal Kalan (SC) | BA |
| Inderjit Kaur Mann | Nakodar | BA |
| Manjit Singh Bilaspur | Nihal Singh Wala (SC) | BA |
| Neena Mittal | Rajpura | BA |
| Balkar Singh Sidhu | Rampura Phul | BA |
| Aman Arora | Sunam | BA |
| Jagroop Singh Gill | Bathinda Urban | BA LLB |
| Karambir Singh Ghuman | Dasuya | BA LLB |
| Lakhbir Singh Rai | Fatehgarh Sahib | BA LLB |
| Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy | Jalalabad | BA LLB |
| Barinder Kumar Goyal | Lehragaga | BA LLB |
| Harjot Singh Bains | Anandpur Sahib | BA.LLB |
| Harpal Singh Cheema | Dirba (SC) | Bachelor Laws |
| Jasbir Singh Sandhu | Amritsar West (SC) | Bachelors EMS |
| Vijay Singla | Mansa | BDS |
| Amit Rattan Kotfatta | Bathinda Rural (SC) | BE |
| Kultar Singh Sandhwan | Kotkapura | BE |
| Rajinder Pal Kaur Chhina | Ludhiana South | Graduation |
| Jeevan Jyot Kaur | Amritsar East | LLB |
| Kulwant Singh Sidhu | Atam Nagar | LLB |
| Rajnish Dahiya | Firozpur Rural (SC) | LLB |
| Dinesh Chadha | Rupnagar | LLB |
| Narinder Kaur Bharaj | Sangrur | LLB |
| Gurpreet Singh Banawali | Sardulgarh | LLB |
| Baljinder Kaur | Talwandi Sabo | M.Phil |
| Jaswinder Singh | Attari (SC) | MA |
| Rupinder Singh | Bassi Pathana (SC) | MA |
| Fauja Singh Sarari | Guru Har Sahai | MA |
| Saravjit Kaur Manuke | Jagraon (SC) | MA |
| Harbhajan Singh E.T.O. | Jandiala (SC) | MA |
| Ajit Pal Singh Kohli | Patiala | MA |
| Manwinder Singh Gyaspura | Payal (SC) | MA |
| Amarpal Singh | Sri Hargobindpur (SC) | MA |
| Budhram Singh | Budhlada (SC) | MA Med |
| Jaswant Singh Gajjan Majra | Amargarh | MA/MPhil |
| Gurinder Singh Garry | Amloh | MBA |
| Ajay Gupta | Amritsar Central | MBBS |
| Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora | Moga | MBBS |
| Dr. Inderbir Singh Nijjar | Amritsar South | MD |
| Dr. Ravjot Singh | Sham Chaurasi (SC) | MD |
| Dr Charanjit Singh | Chamkaur Sahib (SC) | MS |
| Dr. Baljit Kaur | Malout (SC) | MS |
| Balbir Singh | Patiala Rural | MS |
| Dr. Kashmir Singh Sohal | Sri Tarn Taran Sahib | MS |
| Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh | Amritsar North | PhD |
| Mohammad Jamil Ur Rehman | Malerkotla (SC) | PhD |
AAP’s Show Your Degree campaign
Aam Aadmi Party started the “Show Your Degree” campaign in an attempt to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The step by AAP is being seen as retaliation to the judgment by Gujarat High Court where AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, was slapped with a Rs 25,000 fine over Degree Row. Since then, AAP has been trying to project as if PM Modi is hiding his education qualification despite his degrees being in the public domain.
During a press statement, Delhi education minister Atishi showed her graduation and double post-graduation degrees and boasted about her qualifications. She also claimed that one AAP leader would show his or her degree every day. Punjab MLAs can continue the campaign after Delhi MLAs finish their quote after 33 days. If it happens, they will be able to continue for 55 days. Ideally, they should have been able to show the degree(s) of one MLA a day for 154 days, but based on the information on the education qualification of MLAs from two states, they can do it only for 88 days.
By the time this report was published, AAP has not fulfilled its promise of showing one degree per day on the third day of the campaign.
OpIndia has collected the information from publically available affidavits submitted by MLAs as per ECI’s regulations. These affidavits are available on ECI’s website.
