Amid students` protests and threats, HRD Minister Smriti Irani gets `Z` security cover

The existing security arrangments of the HRD Minister were found to be inadequate by the government.

New Delhi: The Minister of Home Affairs on Wednesday upgraded the security cover of HRD Minister Smriti Irani. The decision was taken in the wake of recent, series of agitation against the minister from students groups across multiple central universities across India.    

The Union Home Secretary after receiving the inputs from central agencies approved the Z category cover for the HRD Minister.

The proposal was also cleared by Home Minister Rajnath Singh after which the HRD Minister will have a security cover from 24 men from the central security agencies.

Until now, Irani was entitled to Y-category security. With the Z-security cover, around 24 security men will guard the minister at any given point of time.

According to reports, Irani's security was found to be inadequate in the wake of series of protests by various student groups that the country saw recently. Moreover, the ministry feared that taking advantage of the students' protest, miscreants might also carry out an attack to harm her.