Vajpayee ensures Joshi’s presence at Governors’ meet

After showering profuse praises on HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi and his education policy at the latter’s birthday bash, the Prime Minister today ensured Joshi’s participation in a high-powered two-day state Governors meet begining in Rashtrapati Bhavan tomorrow.

Joshi, who was scheduled to address two seminars on ‘Science and Spirituality’ in Bangalore, cancelled his trip on a request call from the Prime Minister Vajpayee today. The HRD Ministry officials confirmed that Joshi had to cancell his Bangalore trip in order to attend the Governor’s meet on a request from the Prime Minister. According to sources, a last minute addition was also made in the five-point agenda of the meet to ensure that Joshi has ‘‘a meaningful role’’ there. Now the HRD Minister will address the meet on the ‘Role of Governors as Rectors and Chancellors of the universities’.

‘‘The two-day Governors meet, which is the first ever since President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam assumed office, would be inaugurated by the President at the Ashoka Hall tomorrow morning,’’ S.M. Khan, Press Secretary to the President, said. The meeting will be attended by Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, Water Resource Minister Arjun Charan Sethi and Disinvestment and Programme Implementation Minister Arun Shourie.