Smriti bats opposition googlies, rejects saffronisation charge

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Smriti Irani on Monday reassured the Lok Sabha that education will be provided within the framework of the Constitution, dismissing the Opposition’s charge that efforts were being made to “saffronise” education in the country under NDA regime.

She also categorically rejected the Opposition’s charge that her ministry was interfering with the autonomy of the institutions and appointing RSS-backed persons to the key positions in order to push Sangh’s agenda.  

“Members are always concerned about education policy. Congress members are concerned about saffronisation attempts. I gave a written reply in the House (earlier). Today, I reiterate it. The education will be provided within the framework of the Constitution. This is my promise to our students,” Irani said in a combative response to a discussion on her ministry’s demands for grants. 

The minister also defended her controversial decisions, including scrapping of the four-year under-graduate programme, saying more than 70,000 students of Delhi University would have ended up with an unrecognised degree in their hand after completion of the programmes as they were not approved by the President.

Responding to the Opposition’s claim that she appointed people with “saffron” ideology for positions in the Indian Council of Historical Research, she said scholar Purabi Roy, who was associated with the Communist Party of India, and Sacchidananda Sahai, a close associate of Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev, were also appointed as members of the government body of the institution.

Irani’s aggressive response to the discussion in Lok Sabha was seen as “arrogant” by many opposition members. 

Irani, however, remained unmoved and attacked Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his submission that funds were underutlised during her tenure.

“Sir, your math is wrong. While the utilisation was 92.9 per cent in 2013-14, it increased to 97.69 per cent in 2014-15,” she said, responding to Tharoor.