Smriti Irani

Companies like Meta should align with the central govt's vision to keep people, especially women and youth, safe online across cities and towns in India, Union Minister Smriti Irani said

The BJP on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on Rahul Gandhi, saying the Congress leader's refusal to apologise to the OBC community for his "indecent" comments is yet another "manifestation" of the Gandhi family's political arrogance. BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani alleged that Gandhi was trying to "rip" apart the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the Congress leader will not succeed as the people of the country are with the prime minister, she asserted at a press conference. "In an interview to a magazine in 2019, Gandhi in his own words had claimed that Modi's greatest strength is his image and that he would will rip his image apart," Irani said. "The political psychosis of Rahul Gandhi is at full display. He abused and accused Modi in Parliament but could not verify his own statement by authenticating it with his own signature," she said. Such is the political frustration of Gandhi that a promise he made could not be fructified and hence, he continues with hi

This is not the first time Gandhi family has tried to insult people from Dalit or backward communities

India is now setting new standards on the issue of gender justice during its G-20 presidency, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Monday, stressing that women-led development is the governance mantra of the Modi government. Addressing the India Global Forum annual summit, the women and child development minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted communities to ensure women have access to financial services and that is why more than 213 million Indian women now have a bank account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. "India is now setting new standards on the issue of gender justice in the G-20 presidency," she said in a video message. Noting that women-led development is now the governance mantra of the Modi government, Irani said 70 per cent of the over 320 million beneficiaries who got loans under Mudra Yojana were females. "Apart from this, when the prime minister tried to support midsize companies and the transition of companies from SME segments to midsize firms,

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's comments in the UK did not come due to his concern over India but for his political legacy, Union minister Smriti Irani said on Friday, stressing that the opposition party should take a hint from the recent poll results in the northeast and "smell the political coffee". The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retained power on its own in Tripura and with its senior ally, Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), in Nagaland. "Let us keep the 2014 and 2019 (Lok Sabha) elections aside. The Congress should take a hint from the recent poll results in the northeastern states of Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya, where the BJP did fairly well, and smell the political coffee," the Union minister for women and child development and minority affairs said at the India Today Conclave here. Referring to Gandhi's "democracy-under-attack" remarks made during his recent visit to the United Kingdom, Irani said, "Democracy is not in peril in India, the Congress party ...

Smriti said, govt has undertaken several steps to encourage education among the children from minority communities to empower them both educationally as well as for their socio-economic welfare

Union minister Smiriti Irani on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent remarks in the UK, saying India's democracy is not in peril but his party has been brought to political perish by the people for the kind of behaviour that he exhibited overseas. Gandhi's grudge with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken the shape of a grudge with india, she charged. During his interactions in the UK recently, Gandhi alleged that the structures of Indian democracy are under attack and there is a "full-scale assault" on the country's institutions. His remarks triggered a political row, with the BJP accusing him of maligning India on foreign soil and seeking foreign interventions and the Congress hitting back at the ruling party by citing instances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi raising internal politics abroad. Hitting out at Gandhi over his remarks, Irani asked, When Gandhi family directs Congress men and women to tear papers and throw it at the Speaker's chair in Lok .

Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday said that the development of any country is not possible without the participation of women

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched its 'selfie with beneficiary' campaign in Aurangabad in Maharashtra in the presence of Union Minister Smriti Irani. It will see party activists reaching one crore beneficiaries of schemes of the BJP-led Union government and clicking selfies with them and uploading them on the NAMO app, the campaign's national coordinator Medha Kulkarni said. "This is not merely about selfies. It is a chance for the beneficiary to send their blessings to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," said Irani. Union Minister Bhagwat Karad, state minister Atul Save and BJP leader Chitra Wagh were present on the occasion.

Successive Indian govts have remained mum about the round-tripping of black money through the well-established "Mauritius Route", which continues to pollute the Indian market

Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday said women have to be at the centre of any discourse and decision for a future-ready society. Speaking at the G-20 Empower Inception meeting, the women and child development minister said India is keen to play a key role in finding pragmatic global solutions for the well-being of all and, in doing so, manifest the true spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family). Irani particularly emphasised the scale of India's self-help group (SHG) story and highlighted the importance of women's leadership at the grassroots levels and efforts towards ensuring the availability of banking and financial services to every woman. "If you want to get your future right, if you want to be future-ready, make sure that women are at the centre of the discourse and that women are at the centre of your decisions," the minister said on the first day of the two-day meet. Besides, she also cited the quest for gender justice in India through a gender inclus

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Saturday slammed the Congress for disrupting the proceedings in Parliament demanding an independent investigation into the allegations of fraud against billionaire Gautam Adani's companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. She alleged it is a reflection of the animosity the party has towards President Droupadi Murmmu from the day she took office. Parliament was adjourned for the second consecutive day on Friday without transacting any business after the Opposition stepped up its demand for an independent investigation into the allegations of fraud against billionaire Gautam Adani's companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. Proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were disrupted as Opposition members raised slogans demanding a discussion and a JPC probe into the fraud-allegation-triggered rout. "The government has repeatedly said they are open for any conversation, but why would it not begin (not allow) with a vote of thank

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made women-led development one of the main agendas of his government, Union Minister Smriti Irani told a group of eminent women leaders from India and the US. In a virtual address to the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit here, Irani, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, said There's a cause for all of us to celebrate, as India leads the G20 presidency. I am proud that Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has made women-led development one of the main agendas and not limited to a side-line, Irani said. In her keynote address to the half-day-summit being held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department, Irani highlighted some of the key steps being taken by the Modi government towards empowering women in the country. As an Indian woman, I can proudly say that Prime Minister Modi has been central to his governance plan the issues of women, Irani said at summit, which is an initiative of t

Top women leaders from India and the United States, including Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, and US President's top advisor Neera Tanden will address the first-ever US-India Alliance for Women's Economic Empowerment Shatter Summit here. To be joined by top diplomats and officials from the two countries, the day-long summit co-hosted by the US Department of State and the Shatter Foundation, the summit will celebrate the United States' and India's joint commitment to invest in and economically empower women and girls. Women's participation in the economy is not just good for the world, but also good for business. Being held at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department here on January 26, the summit will feature eminent speakers from both sides including Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Assistant Secretary of .

The minister for women and child development also said that India runs the largest healthcare system in the world in the form of Ayushman Bharat that covers 100 million families

Following an uproar over his Latka-Jhatka comment about Union Minister Smriti Irani, Congress leader Ajay Rai clarified that he had no intention of insulting anyone

Union Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said India has emerged as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world with more than 84,400 such businesses operating across 656 districts in the country. In 2014, there were only 720 startups in the country, Irani said. She further said the valuation of Indian unicorns stood at USD 332.7 billion. "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, India has emerged as the third-largest ecosystem of startups with more than 84,400 startups in 656 districts across the country," Irani was quoted as having said in a statement issued by the BJP. The minister said in 2014 when Narendra Modi assumed the charge of prime minister, he had stated that his aim would be to create such atmosphere that the youth should be "job creators rather than job seekers." "Prime Minister Modi took various measures including Skill India, Start-up India, Stand-up India, Make in India, Digital India and Mudra Yojana to empower the youth," Irani said. Talking about th

Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday questioned the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index assessment which ranked India at 135th place in terms of gender parity. Irani said the Index failed to take into account the political empowerment and financial inclusion of women at the grassroots level. The Union minister interacted via video link with the audience during a seminar organised at the Rashtriya Raksha University at Lavad in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. She was asked questions related to the empowerment of women and gender equality. "It is time to challenge what the Global Gender Gap Index has done in the way India has challenged the Global Hunger Index. This measurement has been done through the western standards," Irani said. She said when it comes to marks of political empowerment, the Index does not take into account women who serve across panchayats and municipalities as district panchayat presidents, sarpanchs, mayors and ...

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UP Congress leader Ajay Rai on Monday took a jibe at Union minister Smriti Irani here, saying that she only comes to her constituency Amethi to show "latkas" and "jhatkas", an unflattering reference to dance moves that provoke a sharp response from the BJP. Such a remark from a leader of the party which gave the woman prime minister to the nation, is definitely "shameful", UP BJP spokesperson Anand Dubey said in Lucknow, alleging language used by the Congress leaders has always been "anti-women". Speaking to reporters here, while answering a question whether Rahul Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, Rai said, "It (Amethi) has been the seat of the Gandhi family. Rahul jee has been the Lok Sabha MP from there, so has been Rajiv (Gandhi) jee and Sanjay (Gandhi) jee, and they have served it." Currently, Amethi is represented in Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Irani. "Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half