‘Centre weakening prestigious educational institutions by appointing RSS men’

JAIPUR: All India Congress spokesperson Rita Bahuguna on Sunday slammed the BJP government’s one-year performance and criticised it for weakening the educational institutions in the country.
Condemning the party for putting ideology before education, Bahuguna alleged that the ministry for human resource and development is being run by under-qualified Sangh Parivar loyalists. Listing out the names of people appointed in the premier institutes, Bahuguna said that it is an act of demolishing institutions of prestige.
“The only norm for appointment in educational institutions is proximity to RSS. Baldev Sharma, former editor of RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, was appointed as chairman of National Book Trust. Vishram Ramchandra Jamdar, a professed RSS swayamsevak, was appointed as the head of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, although he was not among the four shortlisted candidates for the post,” said Bahuguna.
She also said that unwarranted interference of central government has increased in the past one year and is impinging on the autonomy of academic institutions. She said that noted nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar quit IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi director Raghunath Shevgaonkar resigned on account of BJP’s politicking.
Asserting that even University Grants Commission (UGC) has not been spared, she said, “MM Ansari, a member of the UGC, disapproved of Irani for ‘excessive interference’ in the functioning of the commission and for taking ‘arbitrary and abrupt’ decisions. He seems to have said it aloud what is on the minds of other bureaucrats, academicians and administrators.”
The Congress leader claimed that the HRD ministry has proposed that while signing any memorandum of understanding (MoU) for collaboration with foreign universities, Indian institutions must refer to the ministry of external affairs’ advisory in context of ‘national interest’, as well as keep the MHRD informed. “Is this the minimum governance the PM has promised?” asked Bahuguna.
She added that the BJP government has also slashed educational budget by Rs 14,088.59 crore.
“The elementary education budget has been reduced by Rs10,186 crore, secondary education by Rs 1,422 crore and higher education budget has been reduced by Rs 1,479 crore. The Modi government has also abolished schemes for granting central assistance for the setting up of 6,000 model schools at block level in the country,” said Bahuguna.