New Delhi: Union minister Smriti Irani has set the record straight about her educational qualifications, which had stirred a major controversy five years ago. Irani, who had till now been rubbishing Opposition’s claim that she is not a graduate, accepted on Thursday that she enrolled for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did not complete it.
In her poll affidavit, Irani revealed that she undertook her exams for Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) first year from Delhi University’s School of Open Learning, but “did not complete the three-year degree course”.
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The latest revelation could open a Pandora’s Box, as it seems she had made contradictory declarations when she contested the parliamentary elections in 2004 and 2014. As a candidate in 2004 elections from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Irani had declared that she had a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.
“BA 1996 Delhi University (School of Correspondence)”, she had written in the column which seeks details of university education and the year in which the course was completed. In the same column of the affidavit filed in the 2014 elections from Amethi, the Union minister had said that she enrolled for Bachelor of Commerce, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi, in 1994.
After the last general elections, Irani had also said at a media event that she has a degree from the prestigious Yale University in the US. The Congress had then asked her why she did not mention this in her poll affidavit. A case was also filed against the Textiles Minister accusing her of misrepresenting her education qualifications.
