During the recent reshuffle of the cabinet, Irani was sent to head the Textiles Ministry, whereas Javadekar was appointed as the new Union Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister.
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After serving as the HRD minister for two years, Smriti Irani took charge of the Ministry of Textiles yesterday.
Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly saying that he’s doing a cabinet expansion and not a reshuffle, he made some major redistribution of portfolios.
Javadekar said if children are encouraged to be inquisitive, innovation would follow as the status quo would be challenged and there would be transformation.
Speaking on the new education policy, Mr Javadekar said it needs to become more relevant.
A special session with Piyush Goyal, Minister of State with Independent Charge for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, was another highlight of the event.
“Kuchh toh log kahenge logon ka kaam hai kehna“, she quipped, indicating that people were bound to talk as it is their job to do so.
The HRD minister said Smriti could not join the occasion because of “family reasons”.
He demanded the resignation of Irani and another minster Bandaru Dattatreya from ministerial posts and said a case must be lodged against them for the “institutional murder” of Vemula.
“I wish my colleague good wishes and hope the good works we started would be carried forward”, Singh said.
However, reports suggest that it was her minsitry’s tiff with Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) over the degree of autonomy that the government’s proposed “world-class universities” should enjoy, that may have resulted in her exit.
Irani’s term was confrontational, featuring run-ins with academia and students of institutions including the elite Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), Delhi University, Hyderabad University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Minister Venkaiah Naidu took over as Information and Broadcasting Minister at Shastri Bhawan.
“Congratulated @santoshgangwar ji for his contribution to @TexMinIndia & thanked him for assuring his support as I begin my new assignment”, she said.
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Javadekar said he would focus on “character building” through education; the first public function he attends in his new role is on 10 July in Pune.
