New Delhi: The Human Resources Development Ministry has clarified minister Smriti Irani's statement about her 'degree' from Yale University. The HRD Ministry said that Irani's participation at a six-day long leadership course at Yale resulted in her getting a certificate for the said programme.
"As an MP Mrs Irani was invited to participate in a leadership program at Yale along with MPs from various political parties of India. Her participation and presence did result in her getting a 'certificate' for the said programme," the HRD Ministry said.
The statement came after the controversy over Smriti Irani's educational qualifications took a new turn with her assertion that she also has a degree from the prestigious Yale University in the United States. Irani made the remark when pressed by a questioner at the India Today Woman Summit 2014 in New Delhi to clear the "mystery" over her educational degrees.
Soon after the Lok Sabha results were announced on May 16, Irani was at the centre of a raging controversy over her educational qualifications after it emerged that she had made contradictory declarations while contesting the parliamentary elections in 2004 and 2014.
"In that kitty of mine where people call me anpad (illiterate) I do have a degree from Yale University as well which I can bring out and show how Yale celebrated my leadership capacities. "Extraneous circumstances are being created so that I deviate my concentration from what my goals are," she said at the event on Saturday. The BJP leader said she should be judged by what she delivers as a minister.
11 Indian MPs went to Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut on June 19 last year to complete a six-day leadership program with Yale faculty. The 2013 participants were drawn from five different national and regional political parties in India, and included Irani, who was BJP vice president at that time, and her TDP counterpart C Ramesh.
In addition to BJP and TDP, there were also representatives from the Congress, Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena. In the academic program, the delegation participated in discussions with Yale faculty members. The topics included nuclear non-proliferation, the democracy movement in the Arab world, women's empowerment, elections theory and practices, political and economic developments in China, campaign finance reform, the environmental impact of shale gas development. Other topics like Afghanistan and Pakistan after 2014, pharmaceutical innovation and patent law, and climate change mitigation were also discussed.
The 2013 program was held in a new partnership with the Governance and Public Policy Initiative of the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. In all, more than 80 MPs from India have participated since the program was created eight years ago.
(With additional information from PTI)
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