No more questions! Former HRD Minister Smriti Irani admits she is not even a BA pass

No more questions. Controversy over the degree of the former Minister of Human Resource Development Smriti Irani should be put at rest as she herself has accepted that she is not even a BA pass. And it is an official declaration.

BJP candidate, Irani who is aspiring to enter parliament from Amethi Lok Sabha seat, filed her nomination on Thursday, declaring her highest educational qualification : “Bachelor of Commerce Part – One”.

As per the affidavit, Irani registered in Bachelor of Commerce course in School of Open Learning, Delhi University in 1994, but she did not complete the course.

Her affidavit for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls confirms it, stating, “Three-year degree course not completed”.

Although Irani’s affidavit claimm that she completed her higher secondary exam from Holy Child Auxilium School in 1993.

Veracity of this claim is also under serious doubt as the Registrar of School of Open Learning, Delhi University (DU), failed to produce class 12 documents, submitted with Smriti Irani’s admission form in a metropolitan court.

Three years ago in 2016, Ahmer Khan had filed a petition in a Delhi court, and claimed that Irani had deliberately given inconsistent information regarding her educational qualification in the affidavits filed before the poll panel.

Khan further alleged that Irani had not given any clarification despite concerns being raised on the issue.

It is important to note that giving incorrect details is a punishable act under the provisions of IPC and under section 125A of Representation of the People Act (RPA).

As per a news report published in the Scroll.in in January 2017, the former Union Minister had asked DU to not disclose information about her degrees in response to a Right to Information application, after the controversy broke out.

Irani in her affidavit for the April 2004 Lok Sabha polls, had claimed that she had completed her BA in 1996 from DU (School of Correspondence), whereas in another affidavit to contest in the Rajya Sabha election from Gujarat she had said, her highest educational qualification was B.Com Part I from the School of Correspondence, DU.