Smriti Irani

In the 2019 Indian general election, she defeated Rahul Gandhi - the country's principal opposition leader and president of Indian National Congress - to win the seat. Gandhi's family had previously represented the constituency for four decades. Prior to this, she was a member of the Rajya Sabha for Gujarat and held multiple portfolios as a Minister in the Government of India.

In the 2nd Modi Ministry she was again sworn in as a Cabinet Minister on 30 May 2019. She is currently the youngest Minister in the Council of Ministers at the age of 43. On 31 May 2019, the government released the portfolio allocations for the ministers. She retained her post as the Minister of Textiles. She was also given an additional charge of becoming the Minister of Women and Child development succeeding Maneka Gandhi.

In April 2019, in a poll affidavit, Irani said she is not a graduate. She revealed that she undertook her exams for Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com) first year from Delhi University's School of Open Learning, but did not complete the three-year degree course. As a candidate in 2014 elections from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, Irani had declared that she had a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.

Irani is Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from Amethi constituency and won Loksabha elections in 2019 by defeating Congress President Rahul Gandhi. Irani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2003. She became the vice-president of the Maharashtra Youth Wing in 2004. In the 2004 general elections for the 14th Lok Sabha, she contested unsuccessfully against Kapil Sibal from the Chandni Chowk constituency in Delhi. She was nominated as executive member of the central committee of the BJP. In December 2004, Irani, blaming then Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi for BJP's electoral losses, threatened to fast unto death until he resigned. However, she later retracted this demand after BJP's central leadership threatened to take action against her. In May 2009, Irani while campaigning for Vijay Goel's candidature in New Delhi, voiced her concerns about the safety of women in the capital. She advocated capital punishment for rapists as a deterrent.

Union Minister for Women and Child Developments (May 2019 – Present)

Irani, in 2019 general elections, in Amethi constituency of Uttar Pradesh, made historic win against Rahul Gandhi, congress candidate, by margin of 55,120 votes. Rahul gave up with three lakh votes to count. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its top brass put in an all-round effort over the past five years to ensure this win. Irani made multiple visits to Amethi after her loss to launch central development schemes in the constituency, which hadn't got that kind of attention under its Congress custodians. Congress continued to assume that the family loyalty factor would continue to work, Irani stressed how a record number of toilets and houses had been built by the Centre for the poor in Amethi since the Modi government came to power.

In July 2017, she was handed the additional charge of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India) when Former Minister M.Venkaiah Naidu resigned from the Ministry to take part in Vice-Presidential Elections.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (July 2017 to May 2018)

However the court decided that she would not be further summoned. It was later clarified that she has done B.com, Part 1 from Delhi University (not completing the full course till Part 3) in the affidavit she filed for Rajya Sabha elections from Gujarat in 2017 which stated "Bachelor of Commerce, Part 1. Three year degree course not completed".

Irani's term as HRD minister proved to be a controversial one and saw a massive increase in volatile campus politics. Irani made a speech in Parliament in which she discussed the 2016 JNU sedition controversy and the Suicide of Rohith Vemula. University of Hyderabad doctor Rajashree M contradicted some claims made by Irani regarding the circumstances of Rohith's death.

She announced to start new yoga departments in six new universities in June 2016.

In July 2016, in a cabinet reshuffle Mrs. Irani was shuffled to the Ministry of Textiles from MHRD.

Union Minister for Textile :(July 2016 to present)

Smt. Irani was appointed as the Textile Minister in the year 2016, taking over from Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar. She has held the position of the Union Minister of textiles since 2016 and retained the portfolio in the new cabinet post the 2019 elections. Her contribution to the sector has also been appreciated by the textile council TEXPROCIL. Various industry bodies such as the Clothing Manufacturers Association of India, Indian Texpreneurs Federation (ITF), hailed her re-appointment as the Union Minister for Textiles.

The court had on 20 November 2016 allowed the complainant's plea seeking direction to the officials of EC and DU to bring the records of Ms. Irani's qualifications after he said he was unable to place them before the court. During the hearings of the complaint, the court was told by a poll panel official that the documents filed by Ms. Irani regarding her educational qualification while filing nominations were not traceable. Also, in pursuance of the court's earlier direction, Delhi University had also submitted that the documents pertaining to Ms. Irani's BA course in 1996, as purportedly mentioned by her in an affidavit filed during 2004 Lok Sabha elections, were yet to be found.

On 6 October 2016 Patiala House Court on Thursday asked Election Commission to authenticate certificates of Union Minister Smriti Irani and later adjourned the matter till 15 October.

On 18 October 2016, a Delhi court said that Smriti Irani will not be summoned for the fake degree case because the petition filed against Irani questioning her college degrees was an attempt to harass her. The court said that the complainant may not have filed it if she were not a central minister. Metropolitan Magistrate Harvinder Singh said that original evidence had already been lost due to the passage of years, secondary evidence wasn't enough for court. The Magistrate also said that the complainant made a "delay of 11 years" in filing the complaint against Irani.

Irani has been accused of misrepresenting her educational qualifications. Conflicting affidavits were allegedly submitted by her while filing for different elections. In June 2015, a lower court held that the allegations against Irani were maintainable and a delay in prosecution was not a valid reason for dismissal. Irani asked people to file a PIL about her educational qualification to know about the truth behind the affidavit controversy.

Irani contested the 2014 general elections against Rahul Gandhi in Amethi constituency of Uttar Pradesh. Irani lost to Gandhi by 1,07,923 votes, a 12.32% margin. On 26 May 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appointed her as the Minister of Human Resource Development in his cabinet. Her appointment was criticised by many people owing to her lack of formal higher education.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development (May 2014 to July 2016)

A freelance writer Ahmer Khan filed a complaint in April 2015 that Smriti Irani had filed an affidavit in April 2004 for the Lok Sabha elections, stating that she had completed her Bachelor of Arts in 1996 from School of Correspondence (Delhi University) but in another affidavit of 16 April 2014, filed by her for the Lok Sabha polls, it was said that she was a Bachelor of Commerce Part-I from the School of Open Learning (Delhi University). The plea said that the facts and circumstances reveal commission of offences by Smriti under section 125A of the Representation of People Act, 1951. Section 125A of RPA deals with penalty for filing false affidavit and entails a jail term of up to six months or fine or both.

As an incumbent minister for human resource and development of India, at the 2014 India Today Women Summit, Irani stated, "I do have a degree from Yale as well, which I can bring out and show how Yale celebrated my leadership capacity." The degree which Ms Irani was mentioning turned out to be a certificate from Yale faculty for attending a 6-day training program at the university.

In early 2010, Irani was appointed National Secretary of BJP and on 24 June, she was appointed All India President of the BJP's women's wing, BJP Mahila Morcha. As National President of BJP Women's Wing she has significantly and successfully pursued Permanent Commission for Women in the Indian Army by facilitating legal aid to women officers. In August 2011, she was sworn in as a member of parliament from Gujarat to the Rajya Sabha.

In 2008, Irani along with Sakshi Tanwar hosted the show Yeh Hai Jalwa, a dance based reality show featuring celebrities along with their troops on 9X. In the same year she also produced another show on Zee TV, Waaris which ended in 2009. In 2009, she appeared in a comedy show Maniben.com, aired on SAB TV. She also co-produced the show in collaboration with Contiloe Entertainment. In 2012, she worked in Bengali movie Amrita

This is the seat from which Rahul Gandhi has been chosen as the member of Parliament since 2004. In 2014 Smriti Irani gave him a tough contest and gathered over three lakh votes in the Parliamentary constituency with the preparation of 45 days before the election.

Irani was accused of providing contradictory affidavits about her educational qualifications during different elections. In her affidavit for the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, she reportedly stated her educational qualification as B.A. from Delhi University (school of bhangra correspondence). However, while filing affidavits in her nomination papers for Rajya Sabha from Gujarat in 2011 and Lok Sabha from Uttar Pradesh in 2014, she said her highest educational qualification was, B.com, Part 1 from School of Open Learning at University of Delhi.

In 2001, she also played the epic character Sita in Zee TV's Ramayan. In 2006, Irani co-produced the show Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Sa Aasmaan under her banner Ugraya Entertainment and Balaji Telefilms. She also played the lead role of Uma in it. In 2007, she produced the TV serial Virrudh for Sony TV and also portrayed the lead character of Vasudha in it. She also produced Mere Apne for 9X and portrayed the protagonist alongside Vinod Khanna. She also acted in a supporting role in Zee TV's Teen Bahuraaniyaan.

In 2001, Smriti married a Parsi businessman - Zubin Irani. In October the same year, the couple had their first child, a son named Zohr. In September 2003, the couple had their second child, a daughter named Zoe. Smriti is also a stepmother to Shanelle who is Zubin Irani's daughter from his previous marriage with a coordinator and former beauty contestant Mona Irani and now is a law student at Georgetown University in the United States.

Irani was one of the participants of the beauty pageant Miss India 1998 who couldn't reach the top 9, along with Gauri Pradhan Tejwani. In 1998, Irani appeared in a song "Boliyan" of the album "Saawan Mein Lag Gayi Aag" with Mika Singh. In 2000, she made her début with TV series Aatish and Hum Hain Kal Aaj Aur Kal, both aired on Star Plus. Apart from this she also acted in Kavita serial on DD metro. In mid-2000, Irani won the lead role of Tulsi Virani in Ekta Kapoor's production Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi on Star Plus. She holds the record of winning five consecutive Indian Television Academy Award for Best Actress - Popular, four Indian Telly Awards. Irani had a fallout with the producer Ekta Kapoor and she left the show in June 2007 and was replaced by Gautami Kapoor. She made her comeback in May 2008 in a special episode.

Smriti Zubin Irani (née Malhotra; born 23 March 1976) is an Indian politician, former model, television actress, and producer. Irani is a Minister in the Union Cabinet of India. She is serving in the cabinet of Narendra Modi as Minister of Textiles and was given additional charge as Minister of Women and Child Development in the 2nd cabinet of Modi since May 2019. A prominent leader within the Bharatiya Janata Party, she is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing Amethi.