New Delhi, May 27 (HS): Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has accused Congress and Rahul Gandhi of indulging in lies and deceit in politics. He highlighted that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities are finally receiving their rights, which were denied during the Congress era. His comments responded to Gandhi's claims that the government was intentionally sidelining SC, ST, and OBC candidates from education and leadership roles under the pretense of not finding suitable candidates.
Pradhan suggested that the Congress party viewed issues through a biased lens, stating, The Congress party has jaundice, implying that they perceive negativity even in positive developments. He criticized the 'Not Found Suitable' policy, linking it to the Congress party's anti-Dalit stance, and asserted that the Modi government addressed this injustice through historical legislation introduced in 2019.
The Education Minister showcased two significant achievements of the current administration, citing the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teacher Cadre) Act, 2019, which rendered the NFS category obsolete. He also noted the elimination of reservation-related issues for backward classes that previous Congress governments failed to resolve.
Pradhan provided statistical evidence to support his statements, showing that, at the end of the UPA government in 2014, there were 57% SC, 63% ST, and 60% OBC vacancies in central universities. Under Modi’s leadership, the total teacher positions increased from 16,217 to 18,940, with the vacancy rate dropping from 37% to 25.95%.
He contrasted the appointment statistics of SC, ST, and OBC teachers in IITs and NITs between the Congress and Modi governments, highlighting a significant increase in appointments post-2014. Additionally, he pointed out that the Modi government removed the Ph.D. requirement for assistant professors, improving access for qualified candidates. This back-and-forth occurred as Rahul Gandhi spoke with students at Delhi University, stressing the importance of education in achieving equality.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
