Central Minister for Human Resources Smriti Irani may well have made the Sangh’s agenda in education a matter of honour, but one can sense the reactions to it in the education sector. Sources say that when the battle lines were drawn between Irani and various vice-chancellors of universities, 26 out of 26 vice-chancellors boycotted her meeting, and sent either the head of a department or someone else in their own place. Ms Minister had asked for resignations of only two vice-chancellors. Now she is calling for meeting according to different zones, but even in these meetings, the vice-chancellors are sending someone else in their own place. A few days ago, the news of differences between Smriti Irani and Aligarh Muslim University’s Vice-chancellor General Jameeruddin Shah made headlines. Sources say General Shah, without a prior appointment, went to meet Ms Minister with a bouquet of flowers and accompanies by his wife. This was not something Ms Minister liked, and they say she scolded General Shah at some point. The General was seen coming out of the meeting with tears in his eyes, saying he had served the country for 40 years, and he couldn’t take it that a woman who was his daughter’s age spoke to him in such a tone. As a result, Ms Minister now likes to meet the VC separately, one-on-one.