At a glance: Educational qualifications of Narendra Modi and his ministers

New Delhi: The questions raised over the educational qualifications of HRD minister Smriti Irani have created a big controversy in India. A debate has erupted as to whether ministers need to be highly educated especially in crucial ministries like Human Resource Development (HRD).The opposition Congress wondered how someone like Smriti Irani can handle a crucial ministry like HRD that looks after institutions like IITs.In Narendra Modi's cabinet, Smriti Irani is not the only minister who is not a graduate. The cabinet also has someone like Uma Bharti who has not matriculated. Let's have a look at the educational qualifications of Narendra Modi and his council of ministers:Narendra Modi - Masters in Political Science from Gujarat UniversityNarendra Damodardas Modi is the 15th Prime Minister of India. Modi led his party, BJP, to a spectacular victory in 2014 Lok Sabha elections. For the first time in last 30 years, a single party got a clear majority in the lower house of the parliament.Narendra Modi also served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2001–14. He was also a full time pracharak of the RSS.Modi was born on 17 September 1950 to a family of grocers belonging to the backward Ghanchi-Teli (oil-presser) community, in Vadnagar in Mehsana district of erstwhile Bombay State (present-day Gujarat).Modi had also sold tea on Railway platform in his childhood days . His journey from tea seller to ‘Prime Minister of India' is truly remarkable.Rajnath Singh - M.Sc. (Physics)Rajnath Singh is the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He is also the Union Minister for Home Affairs in Narendra Modi government.He previously served as the Chief Minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh from 28 October 2000 to 8 March 2002 and was also a Cabinet Minister in the Vajpayee Government.He began his career as a physics lecturer and has been a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his childhood days.Rajnath Singh was born to Ram Badan Singh and Gujarati Devi on 10 July 1951 in the small village of Bhabhaura in Chandauli district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.Arun Jaitley - B.Com, LLB.Arun Jaitley is one of the closest confidants of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Presently he is handling two crucial portfolios - Finance and Defence.Jailey has held various portfolios like Union cabinet Minister for Commerce and Industry and Law and Justice under Vajpayee government making his experience in Indian politics a rich one.Born to a lawyer father, Maharaj Kishan Jaitley and his wife Ratan Prabah Jaitley, Arun followed his father's footsteps and went on to attain a degree in Law from Delhi University. Jaitley was an outstanding student who not only excelled in academics but also proved himself in extracurricular activities at College level. He was the president of Students Union at Delhi University.Married to Sangeeta Jaitley since 1982, Jaitley has two kids, son Rohan and daughter Sonali. Sushma Swaraj: BA, LLBSushma Swaraj is the new foreign minister of India. Here we are giving you some interesting facts about India's news external affairs minister.Sushma also has the distinction of becoming the youngest minister in India when she had joined Haryana government in 1977 at the age of 25 as education minister.Sushma Swaraj was the leader of opposition in 15th Lok Sabha.In 2009 Lok Sabha elections, she was elected from Vidisha Lok Sabha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, she has been elected once again from the same Lok Sabha constituency.In 1979, she became the state president of the BJP in Haryana. She was also the first woman spokesperson for any political party in India and won the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.Swaraj, a law graduate who practised in the Supreme Court, has been elected seven times as a Member of Parliament and three times as a Member of the Legislative Assembly.She began her political career with RSS student wing ABVP in the 1970s. Member of the Haryana Assembly from 1977 to 1982 from Ambala Cantonment, she was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in the Devi Lal government.She was Cabinet Minister for Information and Broadcasting during the 13-day Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government in 1996.She resigned from the Cabinet in the next Vajpayee regime to take over as the first woman Chief Minister of Delhi in October 1998.She has become an epitome of success and strength for almost every woman of this country. Sushma's strong oration skills and firebrand personality has been giving the opposition a tough time in and outside parliament.Born in Ambala, Haryana in 1953 Sushma had politics running in her blood. Her father was a prominent RSS member. D V Sadananda Gowda: LLBDevaragunda Venkappa Sadananda Gowda is presently the Minister for Railways in Modi government. Born on 19 March 1953, Sadananda Gowda was the 20th Chief Minister of Karnataka and he was sworn in as Karnataka CM on August 4, 2011 following the resignation of B. S. Yeddyurappa.He shot into national limelight as the President of the Karnataka unit of Bharatiya Janata Party when the BJP won an assembly election for the first time in South India in May 2008.He resigned as Chief Minister on July 8, 2012 to make way for Jagadish Shettar, as per the direction of the BJP's Central Committee.Nitin Gadkari: LLBNitin Jairam Gadkari is presently the union Transport minister in Modi government.Mr Gadkari took over as BJP president in December 2009 after the party suffered a defeat in the general elections earlier that year.He is also known for the excellent work he did during his tenure as Public Works Department Minister in the state of Maharashtra when he constructed a series of roads, highways and flyovers across the state including the Yashwantrao Chavan Mumbai–Pune Expressway.Nitin Gadkari was born on 27 May 1956 to a middle class family hailing from Nagpur district. Nitin Gadkari is married to Kanchan Gadkari and they have three children; Nikhil, Sarang and Ketki.M Venkaiah Naidu: LLBMuppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu is presently Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs in the Narendra Modi government.Earlier, he was the Union Cabinet Minister for Rural Development in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.Born on 1 July 1949, Naidu belongs to the Kamma family and he completed his schooling from V.R. High School, Nellore & pursued his Bachelor's Degree in Politics & Diplomatic Studies from V.R. College and passed with First Class.Later, he acquired a Bachelor's degree in Law with specialization in International Law from Law College, Andhra University, and Visakhapatnam.Naidu have been associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) from his childhood, he started his career in politics as a student leader of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the year 1973-74 after being elected as President of the Students Union of Andhra University Colleges. He came into spotlight for his prominent role in the 'Jai Andhra Movement' of 1972.Smriti Irani: BCom Part 1Smriti Irani is presently the union minister for Human Resource Development in Modi government.In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Smriti challenged Rahul Gandhi from Amethi parliamentary constituency and gave him a tough fight.Smriti Zubin Irani is better known as ‘Tulsi Virani' of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi', India's one of the most successful soap operas.Born as Smriti Malhotra, she started her career as a model and was the finalist of the beauty pageant Femina Miss India 1997.Ekta Kapoor selected her for the role of Tulsi Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, a soap opera on Star Plus.Ekta showed confidence in Smriti despite the fact that all other members of her team rejected Smriti.But Ekta Kapoor put her foot down and asserted,” Smriti is my Tulsi.”Tulsi's role proved to be a turning point in Smriti's career and she never looked back. The rest, as we say, is history.Smriti holds the record of winning five consecutive Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actress (Popular), four Indian Telly Awards, eight Star Parivaar Awards and other awards all for her performance in Kyunki.She is the only actress on Indian Television to have won five consecutive Indian Television Academy Awards.Smriti also played the role of Sita in Zee TV's Ramayan in 2001.Smriti joined the Bhartiya Janata Party in the year 2003. She fought from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in both 2004 and 2009 but lost to Kapil Sibal both the times.Smriti was elected to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2011.Rajnath Singh, the new BJP president promoted her as Vice President of the BJP in 2013.Smriti married her childhood friend Zubin Irani in 2001. She bore two kids to Zubin - son Zohr and daughter Zoish. Smriti is a stepmother to Shanelle who is Zubin Irani's daughter from her previous marriage.Maneka Gandhi: ISC (The Indian School Certificate is the equivalent of Grade 12)Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has been inducted into Narendra Modi's council of ministers as cabinet minister for Women & Child Development.She has been elected from Pilibhit constituency in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.While maintaining her low key profile Maneka Gandhi has managed to leave a mark in her field of interest.Unlike the rest of the Gandhi family members, Maneka is not a frequent newsmaker but with her intense efforts towards fighting for environment, Maneka has gained popularity.Born into a Sikh family Lt. Col. Tarlochan Singh Anand and Amteshwar Anand, Maneka pursued her education from Delhi.In 1973, Maneka and Sanjay met each other in 1973 at a cocktail party thrown by Maneka's uncle Major-General Kapur to celebrate the forthcoming marriage of his son Veenu Kapur.It was love at first sight. The meeting turned out to be a memorable one for both of them. They spent the evening talking. The two developed an instant liking and felt connected; they both agreed to meet again.After an year, the two got married. Sanjay's involvement in politics was increasing with time and Maneka was seen with him almost everytime on his tours.She also founded the news magazine Surya which later played an instrumental role in promoting Congress party after its defeat in 1977 elections.Post Sanjay's death in a plane mishap on January 23, 1980, Maneka stayed at Indira Gandhi's official residence, but after frequent tiffs with her mother-in-law, she was asked to leave 1, Safdarjung Road.Maneka left the PM's residence in full media glare in 1981, and then founded the Sanjay Vichar Manch along with Akbar Ahmed Dumpy, an old Sanjay acolyte, but the forum did not last long.Maneka joined the Janata Dal led by V P Singh in 1988 and became the General Secretary for one year. In 1989, Maneka won her first ever election to Parliament and joined V.P. Singh's cabinet as Minister for nvironment.It was during this period that Maneka Gandhi took several significant steps to protect environment and ecology, and cracked her whip against people engaged in cruelty against animals.Through her project Old Age Social and Income Security (OASIS) she introduced significant reforms in the India Pension system.Her rigorous attempts towards a better environment gained her the chairmanship of the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) in 1995.Her spectacular writing skills are displayed in her books like Plant Mythology, Animal Activism and Laws etc.A prominent member of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), she is also a trustee of Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Shelter and Hospital. Uma Bharti: 6th standardUma Bharti, the firebrand leader of BJP has been inducted in Narendra Modi cabinet as cabinet minister for water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation.Uma Bharti, former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, will be playing a crucial role in making the dreams of Narendra Modi a reality as far as cleansing the river Ganga is concerned.In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Uma Bharti was elected from Jhansi Lok Sabha constituency in UP. She defeated Chandrapal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party.She earned the title of a `sanyasin' through numerous displays of spirituality through `teerth yatras' and `yagyas'.She managed to leave a mark in the corridors of power in a very short span of her chief ministership.Born in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh into a family of Lodhi peasants, Uma inherited religious ideologies and beliefs.Having a childhood spent surrounded by Hindu epics and mythologies, Uma grew up as a strong believer in Hindu religion.The foundation of what we know of her now was laid in Uma's early twenties when she was raised by Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia.Uma's political career was born as a result of the stimulus created by Rajmata's teachings. She joined Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and at an early age in 1984 she contested her first elections.Her first run in the elections resulted in a defeat but after five years, in 1989 she bagged victory from Khajuraho.It took her almost 10 years to win a seat from Bhopal. After winning from Madhya Pradesh in 1999, Uma Bharti was given the responsibility of Human Resource Development, Tourism, Youth Affairs, Sports and Coal as Minister of State during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure as prime minister.But what gained her popularity was her prominent role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.Her vocal support for Hindutva was on account of her strong religious beliefs and background. During Ayodhya riots, her slogan "Ramlala hum ayenge, mandir wahin banayenge" became a slogan for VHP activists in 1992.In 2003, she was elected as the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. The prime reason behind her victory was the need of having a chief minister from backward caste.Uma's term as chief minister was short lived following the issuing of an arrest warrant against her, because of the 1994 Hubli riots.Her political downfall had commenced. She raised her voice against senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani in 2004 and consequently was suspended from the party.A year later she was called back but her criticism knew no boundaries and she criticised Shviraj Singh Chouhan's appointment as chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.Following these anti-party activities, Uma was expelled from the party.Uma organized several `yatras' to gain popularity.Her `Ram Roti yatra' indeed worked for her. It proved to be a crowd puller and made her establish her own party called the Bhartiya Janshakti Party. Her efforts were all in vain, as her party could not win the polls.Several attempts were made to bring her back as a part of BJP but she herself and her opponents Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj were completely against the move.During 2007, Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, she withdrew her candidates following a request made by the VHP chief, Ashok Singhal.She once again became a BJP member in 2011 and took the responsibility of guiding Save Ganga campaign on her shoulders. Najma Heptullah: MSc, and PhD in Cardiac Anatomy Dr. Najma Akbarali Heptulla is Minister for Minority Affairs in Modi government.Born on 13 April 1940, Najma Heptulla was Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha for sixteen years.She was a member of Rajya Sabha for five terms between 1986 and 2012.Najma is a grand-niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent Indian freedom fighter. She is also a second cousin to actor Aamir Khan.She contested the 13th vice-presidential election held in August 2007 but lost to Hamid Ansari by 233 votes.She is a former vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the BJP nominated her to Rajya Sabha in 2012.Harsimrat Kaur Badal: Diploma in Textile DesignHarsimrat Kaur Badal has been inducted into Narendra Modi's council of ministers as the cabinet minister for food processing industries.Harsimrat has been elected from Bathinda Lok Sabha seat on Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket in 2014 parliamentary elections.Harsimrat Kaur badal is the wife of Punjab deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and hence the daughter-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal.Harsimrat was born to Satyajit and Sukhmanjus Majithiahas in Delhi on July 25, 1966 .After completing her matriculation, she did her diploma in textile design.Harsimrat was married to Sukhbir Singh Badal on November 21, 1991. Harsimart's brother Bikram Singh Majithia is an Akali MLA from Majitha assembly constituency.'Harsimrat and Sukhbir are blessed with two daughters and a son.Harsimrat entered electoral politics in 2009 when she contested from Bathinda Lok Saha constituency on SAD ticket and defeated the Congress candidate Raninder Singh by 120960 votes.Harsimrat also runs a project named "Nanhi Chhan", a movement to save girl child and trees. Ram Vilas Paswan: MA, LLBRamvilas Paswan has been inducted into Narendra Modi cabinet as Minister for Food Processing IndustriesIt was in 2002 that Ram Vilas Paswan had resigned from the Vajpayee government in the aftermath of Gujarat riots. He had jettisoned the NDA accusing BJP of playing communal politics. He was particularly livid with Narendra Modi for his alleged involvement in post-Godhra riots in Gujarat.After 12 years, Paswan made a U-turn by making a comeback to the same NDA and under the leadership of the same Narendra Modi whom he had held responsible for his quitting the NDA fold.A closer look at Paswan's career would reveal that he is not stubbornly attached to any philosophy. He belongs to that league of politicians who believe that ideologies can be changed as per convenience. Gen VK Singh - Graduate from NDA, MSc in Defence Studies from Madras University in 1983, Master in Strategic Studies from Army War College, Eastern University of Pennsylvania in 2001, Ph.D from Barkatullah University, Bhopal in 2014General Vijay Kumar Singh is presently Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of state (independent charge) for North East Region in Modi government.In2014 elections, he won from Ghaziabad constituency of Uttar Pradesh by defeating the actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar by a record 567,000 votes.General V K Singh had served as the 24th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.He was the first commando to be promoted to the rank of General and was also the first serving Indian military chief to take the Government of India to court. In 2014, after his retirement from the military, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ananth Kumar: LLBAnanth Kumar represents the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency from Karnataka and he has been elected six times consecutively.Presently, he is the Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers in Narendra Modi cabinet.Ananth Kumar has been a member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since his childhood. He was also an active member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students wing of the BJP.During the Emergency, he was imprisoned along with thousands of other student activists.He was elected as the State Secretary of the ABVP and later, became its National Secretary in 1985.He later joined BJP and was nominated as the State President of BJP Yuva Morcha. He was then made National Secretary of the party in 1996.Anant Geete: MatriculationAnant Gangaram Geete is presently the union minister for Heavy Industries and Public Sector Enterprises.He is also a former Union Cabinet Minister for Power (Aug 2002 to May 2004).He has been elected six times to the Lok Sabha. In the 2009 general election, he defeated the then sitting MP and former Cabinet Minister A.R.Antulay, by a margin of 145,000 votes to win from the Raigad, Maharashtra.He has earlier represented the Ratnagiri constituency in Maharashtra for four terms from 11th Lok Sabha to 14th Lok Sabha.Anant Geete was born on 2 June 1951 in Tisangi, a village in Ratnagiri District.Nirmala Sitharaman: MA, MPhil in International Studies, PhDNirmala Sitharaman is presently Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce & Industry, as well as a Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs which fall under the Ministry of Finance headed by Arun Jaitley.Before joining the Modi cabinet, Nirmala was a national spokesperson for Bharatiya Janata Party.Nirmala was born on August 18, 1959 in Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu. She graduated from the prestigious Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College, Tiruchirapalli in 1980.Nirmala completed her M. Phil in International Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University.Nirmala Sitharaman has worked for Pricewaterhouse Coopers as a Senior Manager and for BBC World Service. She is one of the founding directors of Pranava school in Hyderabad. She is a former member of the National Commission for Women. Harsh Vardhan: MBBS, MSDr. Harsh Vardhan is presently the Minister for Health and Family Welfare in the Modi government. He represents Chandni Chowk LS seat in Delhi as a MP in the 16th Lok Sabha.Vardhan has also represented Krishna Nagar assembly constituency in the Delhi legislative assembly since 1993. He was also the Chief Ministerial candidate for the BJP in the 2013 Delhi assembly election.Harsh Vardhan was born on 13 December 1954 in Delhi to Om Prakash Goel and Sneh Lata.Vardhan finished his schooling from Anglo Sanskrit Victoria Jubilee Senior Secondary School, Daryaganj, in 1971. He attended Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College, Kanpur, where he graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. He earned his Master of Surgery in Otolaryngology from the same college in 1983.Dr. Harsh Vardhan has been a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since childhood. Jual Oram: Diploma in Electrical EngineeringJual Oram is a member of the 16th Lok Sabha of India. He is presently cabinet minister for Tribal Affairs in Narendra Modi government.He represents the Sundargarh constituency of Odisha and is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).He was also a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th Lok Sabha of India. He was chosen as one of the cabinet ministers of Narendra Modi.He is a former Cabinet Minister in the Government of India. He is one of the most veteran leaders from the State of Odisha, one of two founding Legislative Assembly Members from the Bharatiya Janata Party in the State of Odisha. Kalraj Mishra: MAKalraj Mishra is the Union Cabinet Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the Narendra Modi government. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he won from Deoria constituency in Uttar Pradesh.Born in 1941 in Ghazipur District of Uttar Pradesh, he obtained his M.A. degree from Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi. He joined politics and held many party positions at state and national level. He was a Cabinet Minister in Government of Uttar Pradesh holding the portfolios of Public Works, Medical Education and Tourism during March 1997 – August 2000 period.He was a member of Rajya Sabha and a MLA from Lucknow east. He was also President of Uttar Pradesh state unit of the BJP. Narendra Singh Tomar: BANarendra Singh Tomar is the union cabinet minister for Mines, Steel, Labour and employment in Modi government.Tomar was born on 12 June 1957 to Munshi Singh Tomar and Sharda Devi Tomar in the village of Morar, Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh).He graduated from Jiwaji University. He is married to Kiran and the couple is blessed with two sons and a daughter.Tomar has held several important positions in the party and as the Madhya Pradesh BJP chief, he was instrumental in ensuring a third term for MPChief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan besides a thumping victory for the party in the Lok Sabha polls.He was nicknamed as Munna Bhaiya by Babulal Gaur. Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju: MatriculationPusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju is a TDP MP and is presently the union civil aviation minister in Narendra Modi government.Raju is the titular Raja of Vizianagaram estateHe has been elected from the Vizianagaram consecutively for the 6th time.Born on 16 June 1951, Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju comes from the Pusapati Royal family. Since ages his family looks after the affairs of the Simhachalam temple.He was educated at Gwalior Scindia School, Hyderabad Public School and V.S. Krishna College, Visakhapatnam.His father Pusapati Vijaya Rama Gajapati Raju was also an Indian parliamentarian.Raju is a close confidante of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Radha Mohan Singh: BA from MS College, Bihar UniversityRadha Mohan Singh is the union minister for Agriculture in Narendra Modi government.Singh was president of Bihar BJP from 2006 to 2009.He was member of 11th Lok Sabha, 13th Lok Sabha, 15th Lok Sabha and has also been elected to 16th Lok Sabha.Presently, he represents East Champaran LS constituency of Bihar.Radha Mohan Singh has listed cow protection and better breeding of Indian cows as one of his priorities apart from ambitious schemes to provide irrigation and insurance to farmers.His opinion on GM technology has also been highlighted where he mentioned that "GM technology will be allowed when it is very necessary". Inderjit Singh Rao: LL.B. from Delhi University in the year 1974 Rao Inderjit Singh is Minister of State for Planning (Independent Charge), Statistics and programme implementation (Independent Charge) and Defence in narendra Modi government. He represents Gurgaon Lok Sabha constituency in 16th Lok Sabha. In 15th Lok Sabha, he represented the same constituency but he was a member of Congress party at that time.Before the elections to the 16th Lok sabha, Singh switched over to the BJP and was awarded with the party ticket from Gurgaon constituency.Singh was born on 11 February 1951 and was a Congress leader throughout his career. He had demanded a full- fledged enquiry into the allegations leveled against Robert Vadra relating to his land deals in Haryana. Jitendra Singh - Medical Degree from University of Madras & University of Jammu and Hr. Sec. Certificate from J&K Board (1972)Dr Jitendra singh is a Minister of State in narendra Modi govt.His portfolios include Sciencea and Technology (Independent), Earth Sciences (Independent Charge), PMO, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space.Singh joined BJP in 2009 and went on to become a member of the party's national executive committee.57 year old Dr Singh is a physician by profession and he contested 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Udhampur constituency and defeated the veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.Recently Dr Singh created a controversy when he said that the new government has started discussions with the stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmirfor abolishing Article 370. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had reacted angrily to Dr Singh's statement. Kiren Rijiju - B.A., L.L.B.from Delhi University (1994 & 1998) Kiren Rijiju is the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs in Narendra Modi government.He has entered the Lok Sabha for the second time from the Arunachal (West) constituency of Arunachal Pradesh in India.Born on 19 November 1971, Kiren Rijiju was also a member of the 14th Lok Sabha.In a recent interview, Kiren Riiju said, “We're not pursuing an expansionist foreign policy; we're not going to have an aggressive policy. Butthat does stop us from developing our own area; by not developing or strengthening our area along the Indo-China border, we are indirectlyconceding these areas to the other side (China).” Krishan Pal - B.A. from Pt.Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Faridabad, (1978), LLB from Meerut University, Meerut (since 1986) Krishan Pal is the Minister of State for Road transport and Highways in Narendra Modi government. He also has the additional responsibility of Shiiping.A BJP MP from Faridabad Lok Sabha constituency in Haryana, Krishan Pal Gurjar's political journey with the BJP began in 1980 when he became the Students' Union Secretary.Krishan Pal Gurjar then went on to become a councillor in 1994 and a Haryana MLA as well as state transport minister in 1996.In 2000, he once again became an MLA in the Haryana Assembly.In 2009, Gurjar became the Haryana BJP President and was the chief till 2013. Manoj Sinha - Bachelor Of Technology From Kashi Hindu College Varanasi (1979)Manoj Singh Sinha is the Minister of State for Railways in Narendra Modi government. A BJP MP, Manoj represents Ghazipur Lok Sabha constituency in 16th Lok sabha. Manoj was born on July 1, 1959 in Mohanpura, Ghazipur District, Uttar Pradesh. He has a B. Tech. degree in civil engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi.From 1989-1996, he was a member of the national council. In 1996, 1999 and in 2014 he was elected to Lok Sabha.He was among the seven most honest members of parliament according to India Today and he had used all the money allotted to a parliament member for public welfare, which is rare these days.He was the President of the Banaras Hindu University Students Union in 1982. Nihal Chand - Graduate from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College Raisinghnagar (1994-95) Nihal Chand, also known as Nihalchand Chauhan and Nihalchand Meghwal, is presently the Minister of State for Chemical and Fertilisers in Narendra Modi government.Born on 4 February 1971, Nihal chand is a BJP MP and has been elected as a Member of Parliament four times from the Ganganagar constituency in Rajasthan. Nihal Chand was born in a Meghwal Scheduled Caste family. His father Bega Ram was a Swatantra Party MLA from Raisinghnagar.Nihal Chand married Jyoti in 1992 and the couple is blessed with two children.In 1995, at the age of 24, Nihal Chand was elected as "Panchayat director"[Nanuwala, Sardarpura Bika and Bagicha ] and that time he was also elected as the pradhan (chief) of the Raisinghnagar panchayat samiti.In 1996, he became the youngest Member of Parliament (MP) from Rajasthan at the age of 25. Piyush Goyal: BCom, LLB, FCAPiyush Goel is presently the Minister of state with independent charge for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy in Narendra Modi government.He is a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha. Earlier, he was the National Treasurer of the Bhartiya janata Party (BJP).He is the son of Late Shri Ved Prakash Goyal who had served as a Union Minister for shipping in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee cabinet and was also the treasurer of Bhartiya Janta Party for a long time.He headed BJP's Information Communication Campaign Committee that oversaw all outreach efforts of the party via web, mobile and social-media for the Indian General Elections 2014. Prakash Javadekar - B.Com HonoursPrakash Javadekar is Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (Independent), Environment, Forest and Climate Change (IndependentCharge) and Parliament Affairs in Narendra Modi government.Javdekar was born on January 30, 1951 in Pune in the family of Shri Keshav Krishna Javadekar and Ranjani Javadekar, a school teacher.Javdekar did his B.Com and was associated with ABVP from student days.His father Keshav Krishna Javadekar was a senior leader of Hindu Maha Sabha and even led its Pune unit as its President. His father was friend and follower of Veer Savarkar.He worked as joint editor of Marathi Daily started by Lokmanya Tilak - Kesari before having stints with some other newspapers like Tarun Bharat, Kaal as journalist. P. Radhakrishnan - B.A from V.H.N.S.N College in Virudhunagar, Madurai (1974); B.L from Madras law college in Chennai (1979)Pon Radhakrishnan is presently the Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises in Narendra Modi government. He is elected from Kanyakumari Lok Sabha seat on a BJP ticket.Radhakrishnan won the 1999 Lok sabha Election from Nagercoil Constituency.He was a Minister of State for Youth Affairs in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government of 1999-2004.Later, he also served as Minister of State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation.Radhakrishnan lost the same seat in 2004 and 2009.In 2014 general election, Pon Radhakrishnan won the Lok Sabha election from Kanyakumari constituency by a margin of 128662 votes. Santosh Kumar Gangwar: B.SC., LL.B from Agra University and Rohilkhand UniversitySantosh Kumar Gangwar is presently the Minister of State for Textiles (Independent Charge), Parliamentary Affairs, Water resources, River development and Ganga Rejuvenation.He is a BJP MP from Bareily Lok Sabha constituency and has been representing this constituency since 1989 except from 2009-14. He was also the chief whip of the party in 14th Lok Sabha. He faced defeat in the 15th Lok Sabha Elections, 2009 by a very narrow margin.Gangwar was jailed during the Emergency for guiding a people's movement against the then Government. He served as a member of the Uttar PradeshState BJP Working Committee and held the position of General Secretary of the Uttar Pradesh BJP Unit in 1996.He has held ministerial posts in the Government of India. He was Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas with additional charge ofParliament Affairs in 13th Lok Sabha. Prior to this, Gangwar was Minister of State of Science and Technology with additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs during October and November 1999 Shripad Yesso Naik: BA from Bombay UniversityShripad Yesso Naik is presently the Minister of State for Culture (Independent Charge) and Tourism (Independent Charge).He is a BJP MP from North Goa constituency.Shripad Naik was born on 4 October 1952 at Adpai village, North Goa District, Goa in the Bhandari community.In 1999, he was elected to the 13th Lok Sabha from Panaji constituency in Goa.He moved to North Goa constituency in 2014 and he has held his seat in 2004, 2009 and 2014 elections.In 2014 Lokh Sabha Elections, he won this seat with a margin of 105000 votes which is very high for a small state of Goa. Sudarshan Bhagat - Graduate from Kartik Turav College, Gumla Ranchi University, Ranchi (1990)Sudarshan Bhagat is the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment in the Narendra Modi government.Bhagat is a BJP MP from Lohardaga constituency in Jharkhand.Bhagat is the only face in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's council of ministers from Jharkhand where BJP won 12 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats.Born on 20 Oct 1969 in Tangardih, Dist Gumla (Jharkhand), he completed his education at Kartik Oraon College,Gumla,University ofRanchi,Jharkhand. He is married to Smt Krishna Toppo and has 2 sons.Bhagat started his career as a Vidyarthi Parishad leader in undivided Bihar in the early 1990s.He had joined ABVP in student life as State Joint Secretary, Bihar, which was Affiliated to RSS, Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra and participated in several social activities.He joined politics actively in 1995. Sarbananda Sonowal: LL.B. from GU Law College, Guwahati UniversitySarbananda Sonowal is presently the Minister of State for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and sports (Independent Charge) in Narendra Modi government.He is a BJP MP from Lakhimpur constituency in Assam.Sonowal was earlier with Congress and he joined BJP in 2011 in the presence of the then BJP National President Nitin Gadkari and senior leaders like Varun Gandhi, Vijay Goel, Bijoya Chakravarty and state BJP president Ranjit Dutta.He was immediately appointed as a member of the BJP National Executive and later on the State Spokesperson of the BJP unit, prior to his current assignment to head the state as the new president. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan - PhD in Veterinary Anatomy Sanjeev Kumar Balyan is presently the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries in Narendra Modi government.Balyan won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Muzaffarnagar constituency in western Uttar Pradesh. He defeated Kadir Rana of BSP by a margin ofmore than 4 Lakh votes.His educational qualifications include Ph.D. (2005), M.V.S.C. (1997), Veterinary Anatomy & B.V.S.C. & A.H. (1994) from Choudhary Charan SinghHaryana Agriculture University, Senior School, (1989) from Central Secondary Education Board & High School, (1986) from Secondary Education Council UP.Born on 23 June 1972, hails from the Jat community and served as an Assistant Professor and as a veterinary surgeon with the Haryana Government. Ravi Shankar Prasad: MA, LLBRavi Shankar Prasad is presently the Union cabinet minister for Communications and Information Technology in addition to Law and Justice.He is a BJP MP In the Rajya Sabha . He comes from the state of Bihar.He is a designated senior advocate at the Supreme Court of India. During NDA Governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee's prime ministership, Prasadheld the position of Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal and Mines, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.Prasad was the main lawyer arguing the PIL against former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in the fodder scam that led to the jailing of several politicians and officials, including Lalu Prasad.He is the lawyer in the Ayodhya Ram temple title suit case representing 'Ram Lalla', the deity, in the case.He has represented former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani and has appeared in several leading cases including Narmada Bachao Andolan Case, T.N. Thirumulpad environment cases, Bihar assembly dissolution case (2005) etc. Thawar Chand Gehlot: BAThawar Chand Gehlot is union cabinet minister for Social Justice and Empowerment. He is a Rajya Sabha MP of BJP from Madhya Pradesh.He represented the Shajapur constituency of Madhya Pradesh in the 11th, 12th, 13th & 14th Lok Sabhas.In 2008 as a part of the implementation of delimitation of parliamentary constituencies Shajapur constituency ceased to exist and Dewas constituency came into being.Mr Gehlot is a leader of the Dalit community and he has won from Dewas Lok Sabha constituency this time.He had lost the 2009 Lok Sabha polls to Sajjan Singh Verma of the Congress. Mr Gehlot became a member of the Rajya Sabha in 2013.

At a glance: Educational qualifications of Narendra Modi and his ministers

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At a glance: Educational qualifications of Narendra Modi and his ministers

New Delhi: The questions raised over the educational qualifications of HRD minister Smriti Irani have created a big controversy in India. A debate has erupted as to whether ministers need to be highly educated especially in

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ED raids Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora in money laundering probe, CM Bhagwant Mann targets BJP

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​Amid Opposition's unity bid, BJP's counter-strategy of key inductions ahead of 2024 polls

Chirag Paswan to meet Amit Shah in Delhi, return to NDA on the cards?

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Amid Opposition's unity bid, BJP's counter-strategy of key inductions ahead of 2024 polls

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