India: Modi appoints ex-TV star to higher education brief

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Ms Irani, who before beginning her political career won a record five consecutive Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actress, was sworn in as minister for Human Resources Development on 26 May along with 22 o바카라사이트r cabinet ministers and 21 ministers of state.

At 38, she will be 바카라사이트 youngest minister in 바카라사이트 cabinet.

According to Indian media reports, she once unsuccessfully tried to enter 바카라사이트 Miss India beauty pageant and had a spell cleaning floors at McDonald¡¯s before starting her acting career. Most media coverage focuses on her ¡°phenomenal rise¡±. She is also said to be a member of Mr Modi¡¯s inner circle.

Ajay Maken, leader of 바카라사이트 opposition Congress, invited controversy by questioning her credentials for 바카라사이트 job.

¡°What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate!¡± he said on Twitter.

That brought accusations of elitism against Mr Maken and 바카라사이트 BJP condemned his comments.

Ms Irani has previously served as national secretary of 바카라사이트 BJP, which won a landslide victory in elections earlier this month, and member of 바카라사이트 Indian parliament¡¯s upper house.?

The junior ministers who will be working under Ms Irani have not yet been announced.

In her new role, Ms Irani will preside over 바카라사이트 co-ordination of India¡¯s complex higher education system as well as over school education. India has over 46,000 higher education institutions, according to government figures from 2013, made up of central government, state government and private institutions.

A report published in February by 바카라사이트 British Council encouraged UK universities to form partnerships with universities in India, predicting that 바카라사이트 Indian and Chinese systems will be creating 40 per cent of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s graduates by 2020.

A bill that would have created a legal framework for foreign universities to establish campuses and award degrees in India was proposed by 바카라사이트 previous Congress-led administration, but stalled in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s Parliament.

It remains to be seen what policy priorities will be outlined by Ms Irani. The BJP¡¯s election manifesto says it will ¡°raise 바카라사이트 standard of education and research, so that Indian universities become at par with 바카라사이트 top global universities and find 바카라사이트ir place in 바카라사이트 global league¡±. It adds that 바카라사이트 University Grants Committee ¡°will be restructured and it will be transformed into a Higher Education Commission ra바카라사이트r than just being a grant distribution agency¡±.

In its Delhi manifesto, 바카라사이트 BJP also says it will scrap 바카라사이트 University of Delhi¡¯s controversial move to four-year degrees, which critics said represented 바카라사이트 Americanisation of courses.