Union Minister Smriti Irani's HRD ministry is all set to counter taunts and allegations levelled by Congress in its report card on one year of Narendra Modi government with a point-by-point, blow-by-blow rebuttal of charges. Smriti Irani's ministry is preparing its reactions in consultation with the the PMO.</br></br> Here are the major ones: </br></br>(PTI)
Degree row: 'Irani has no moral, legal right to continue as HRD min' </br> </br>Opposition parties today demanded the removal of HRD Minister Smriti Irani, saying she has no "moral, constitutional or legal" right to continue in her post after a Delhi court took cognisance of a complaint that she gave false information about her educational qualification. "It is apparent that the country's education minister is lying about her own education. What will happen to the future of millions of children in the country. Smriti Irani has no moral, constitutional or legal right to continue in her post for even a day," said Congress's chief spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala. "After a court has prima facie found a cognisable case against her, we demand that Irani must resign forthwith or be dismissed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said. Surjewala said it was "unfortunate" that there are question marks over the educational degrees of both the HRD Minister and the Minister of State in the ministry under Modi government. MoS HRD, Ram Shankar Katheria, has been accused of mark-sheet forgery. "How does Modi government propose to run education when the educational degrees of the education ministers themselves are under question. Naturally, under any investigation, DU comes under HRD ministry. Definitely as Education Minister, she will influence the conduct and course of investigation," he said. (PTI)
2. Smriti Irani vs Congress:</br> Countering allegations of saffronisation of education and "politically coloured appointments" in bodies like Indian Council of Historical Research, the Ministry is likely to point out the political leaning of some of the members, officials said.(Express Photo)
3. Other charges levelled by Congress against the ministry are separate canteens for vegetarian students in IITs. The HRD Ministry has dismissed allegations of such a separate canteen. (PTI)
4. Smriti Irani vs Congress</br>: Scrapping of German as third language in Kendriya Vidyalaya last year is another major controversy Congress blamed the Centre for. HRD has maintained that replacing German with Sanskrit as the third language was done in keeping with the three language formula. (PTI)
5. Smriti Irani vs Congress:</br> Congress had also slammed the cut in the education budget. The HRD Ministry is likely to highlight the fact that the budget cuts would have little impact on the big-ticket programmes as they are still at an initial stage of implementation. The argument would also hinge around the fact that states have greater resources to implement schemes following devolution of resources to the states in keeping with recommendations of the 14th Finance (PTI)
