What is the reality, Mrs. Irani?

A day after Narendra Modi assumed Prime Minister’s Office; a shocking revelation came out against his own cabinet minister. It began with Senior Congress leader’s tweet questioning the educational background of Smriti Irani which has led to political scenes. Initially, as this tweet came from Congress Leader Ajay Maken, it seemed like questions were being raised against the educational qualifications of the newly appointed HRD Minister Smriti Irani.

But a Press Conference conducted by the Congress Party bought into picture a shocking evidence which showed two different education affidavits were produced before the Election Commission of India by Mrs. Smriti Irani. 

• The two different affidavits that show two different education qualification.

In her educational affidavit submitted in the year 2004, Mrs. Irani has said that she has done B.A in the year 1996 from Delhi University’s School of Correspondence. But her educational affidavit submitted this year in 2014 says that she has done a Bachelor of Commerce Part – 1 from School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of New Delhi in the year 1994. This major difference in courses and years definitely raises some serious questions on the authenticity of the affidavits. 

Well, Congress for sure has got an opportunity to swoop Mrs. Smriti Irani on this issue but the BJP seems no less in retaliating. While some BJP leaders called this allegation, an outcome of frustration due to their (Congress Party’s) debacle in the recent 2014 Lok Sabha election, BJP Minister Uma Bharti went ahead to question the educational qualifications of Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. 

On social networking too, many critisized Smriti Irani of being an HRD minister without a degree.

I very well know that we are living in 21^st century where talent is often dismissed and considered are degrees and certificates. But simultaneously, I am not of this opinion that Smriti Irani should not have got a high profiled portfolio like HRD. She surely lacks experience but then she deserves a chance. All of us have seen her political work and they've been fair enough. None of us have seen her work as a minister and thus she deserves a fair chance to display her performance as a minister. All I have got to say is we are nobody to judge or predict things related to her work. 

History is evident that people who never held a degree have achieved laurels in life whereas the degree holders have often committed worst things. Although education is essential but I think basics of education are more essential than the distinguished degrees. One must also ponder on one’s talent, aptitude, leadership and management skills. There comes a time in life when degrees just remain for name sake and abilities acquire importance.  

But here, the real issue isn't of how much educated Mrs. Irani is. The real issue is of those two affidavits where-in two different educational qualifications are mentioned.

On this topic of affidavits, it is certainly impossible for both the affidavits to be correct. One of them is surely false. Now, the answer to which one is false can only be told by none other than Mrs. Smriti Irani herself. It is off course a crime to submit a false Educational Affidavit. I wonder sometimes, what would have happened if at all this variance would not have come under scrutiny. 

At the moment when these ‘two different affidavits’ have become a debatable issue, Smriti Irani must pick-up responsibility. She should honestly respond to these allegations. After all, the nation definitely wants to know the reality behind this.