BJP, Opposition lock horns during eduction ministry grants demand discussion

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha saw a discussion on the demands for grants to the education ministry, with the Opposition and BJP members locking horns.

While Opposition members pointed at the deteriorating condition of the education sector, the treasury MPs counted their achievements. The discussions saw protests from the treasury benches when TMC MP Saugata Ray alleged that the RSS was “interfering” in the education sector.

The demands for grants was finally passed via voice vote by the House.

BJP MP Sambhit Patra said that the pupil teacher ratio increased by 9% during the Modi government and there was a 36% increase in the increment of electrification of schools.

“We want to create India as a talent basket, a solution provider. Budget allocation for education, employment and skilling in FY 2024-25 is Rs 1.48 lakh crore. The highest allocation of Rs 73,498 cr has been given to the Department of School Education and Literacy,” Patra said. 

Congress MP Anto Anthony said that academic freedom has “significantly weakened”. “Students of this country are not free to express their opinions. Academic freedom has significantly weakened, the atmosphere of fear has entered the educational sector. The marginal sections of the society are unable to avail proper education,” he said. 

Saugata Ray caused a stir when he alleged that the government must produce “atleast one” institution of quality education. “I would request the government to stop the RSS from interfering in India’s education. They are excluding the Mughal dynasty from history textbooks. They have appointed Jagdish Kumar who was appointed as UGC chairman because he was recommended by RSS,” Ray alleged. 

Samajwadi Party MP Afzal Ansari said that the Modi government has decreased the allocation to minorities and backward classes. RLP MP Hanuman Beniwal demands that the government initiates CBI investigation into the paper leaks.

BJP MP Manish Jaiswal said that the Congress did not do much in the past decades to help the education sector and hailed PM Modi for bringing in the NEP.

“The Congress was prioritising Mughals over Shivaji, Maharana Pratap, and kept the minority institutions out of the purview of the Right to Education,” he alleged. 

AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said that the dropout rates among Muslims is higher than other communities.

“As early as Class 6, Muslim students drop out. The government has limited scheduled scholarships in higher education for Muslims, showing its bias against the community. The share of government schools has decreased from 87% in 2006 to 62% in 2022. Maybe the Mughals are responsible for it,” he quipped.  

In response to the speeches, education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that Western influence in the Indian education system has to be removed. “For me, Indianness is the teachings of Thiruvalluvar to all Indians. If I speak on Thirukkural, Aurobindo’s thoughts, why should someone have issues,” the minister asserted. Pradhan’s comments led to an eruption of protests, leading Owaisi to say that governments run on the Constitution. 

He also said that since 2013-14, the spending on higher education has seen a rise of 63%, and that on primary education saw a hike of 40%. “Female teachers have increased to 48 lakhs from 36 lakhs. The Opposition keeps asking how many SC, ST, OBC officials are in government schools? In 2021, OBC reservation has been implemented in NEET-UG,” said Pradhan.