Don’t Have College Degree, Smriti Irani Reveals in Her Affidavit From Amethi For LS Polls 2019

While filing her nomination for Amethi LS seat, Smriti Irani revealed in her poll portfolio that she did enrol for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did "did not complete the three-year degree course".

New Delhi: Union Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday accepted that she doesn’t have a college degree. In her poll affidavit, Smriti Irani said that she did enrol for an undergraduate course in Delhi University but did “did not complete the three-year degree course”.

Irani said in her affidavit that she passed secondary school examination in 1991 and senior secondary school examination in 1993. She has said she did not complete her Bachelor of Commerce (Part-I), a three-year degree course, from Delhi University’s School of Open Learning in 1994.

Notably, in her 2014 polls affidavit, she had reportedly said she graduated from the university in 1994, triggering a row over the veracity of her claim, with opposition parties alleging she was not a graduate.

This year, she has declared assets worth over Rs 4.71 crore. According to the affidavit, Irani has declared movable property worth over Rs 1.75 crore.

Her immovable assets are worth Rs 2.96 crore, which include an agricultural land valued at over Rs 1.45 crore and a residential building of Rs 1.50 crore. In the movable category, she had cash in hand till March 31 totalling about Rs 6.24 lakh besides over Rs 89 lakh in bank accounts.

She also has over Rs 18 lakh in NSS and postal savings insurance and another Rs 1.05 lakh in other investments.

In August 2014, India had claimed in a media event that she had a degree from the prestigious Yale University in the US. This triggered a row with the Congress asking why she didn’t mention the same in her poll affidavit.

For 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Irani is contesting from the Amethi Lok Sabha seat on BJP’s ticket, pitting herself against Congress president Rahul Gandhi who has won thrice from the parliamentary constituency regarded as a Gandhi family pocket borough.