Education minister Smriti Irani claims she has a degree from Yale University

New Delhi, Aug 11:The affidavit controversy surrounding the education minister

has taken a new turn recently, when she claimed that she has a degree from Yale University. She was found claiming this when a questioner in a summit brought up her education debate once again.

She said,"In that kitty of mine where people call me 'anpadh' (illiterate) I do have a degree from Yale University as well which I can bring out and show. Extraneous circumstances are being created so that I deviate my concentration from my goals." she said. On further pestering, the minister retorted,"Please go and file a PIL against me in court, I shall give you your answer in court to settle this once and for all."

Although she did not explain what was the degree pertaining to, but sources believe that she was a part of an 11-member group of MPs who had taken part in a crash course in Yale University. The group had Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut on June 19 last year to complete a six-day leadership program with the Yale faculty.

The team included members from various regional and national political parties like the BJP, TDP, Congress, Trinamool and Shiv Sena. The topic of discussion included nuclear non-proliferation; the democracy movement in the Arab world; women's empowerment; political and economic developments in China; elections theory and practices; campaign finance reform; the environmental impact of shale gas development; Afghanistan and Pakistan after 2014; pharmaceutical innovation and patent law; and climate change mitigation.

The program was part of a partnership with the Governance and Public Policy Initiative of the Centre for Policy Research in New Delhi. Close to 80 members have participated since the program was introduced 8 years ago.

However, the Congress and the leading opposition grabbed the opportunity and said,"and our HRD minister forgot to mention her Yale degree in her affidavit this time. But all her affidavits have had different degrees, sigh."

"I repeat again. It's NOT about the need of educational qualifications for a minister. It's about her honesty, integrity and truthfulness," Twitted Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Congress spokesperson.

OneIndia News