Parliament LIVE | Pradhan: Repeatedly wrote to TN CM to join NEP
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan replied to the discussion on the working of the Education Ministry in the Rajya Sabha
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday (March 11) said he repeatedly wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin urging him to join the National Education Policy (NEP) and PM SHRI.
Also read: CM Stalin vows TN will reject NEP, cites BJP’s hostility towards Tamils
Replying to discussion on the working of the Education Ministry in the Rajya Sabha, Pradhan said, "I do not dispute that the NEP has an ideological commitment which is our pride in Bharatiyata and our culture. This is why course books under NEP have to be prepared in 22 languages."
"I told him (Stalin) that Tamil Nadu has always been a pioneer in education," Pradhan said.
He added that the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu wrote back to me saying Tamil Nadu is "very keen to sign the MoU for establishing PM-SHRI schools in Tamil Nadu" and that "in this regard a state level committee has been constituted and based on the committee report MoU will be signed for 2024-2025".
DMK MPs protest
Earlier on Tuesday, Kanimozhi and other DMK MPs staged a protest within the Parliament premises over the NEP, the three-language policy, and against Pradhan over his remarks in Parliament on Monday calling the Tamil Nadu government “dishonest” and the people of the state “uncivilised”.
On Monday, Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for about 30 minutes after DMK members staged protests over Pradhan’s remarks that the Tamil Nadu government was “ruining” the future of the students of the state by taking a complete “U-turn” on the issue of implementing the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI).
“The Tamil Nadu government had initially agreed to sign the MoU. But now they have changed the stand. Many non-BJP-ruled states, including Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh, have signed the agreement,” he said. “They (DMK) are dishonest and they are ruining the future of the students of Tamil Nadu. They are doing politics,” he added.
Taking strong exception to the minister’s remarks, DMK members registered strong protests by raising slogans against the central government. After some time, Birla adjourned the House till 12 noon. Monday was the first day of the second half of Parliament’s Budget session.
Opposition walks out of Rajya Sabha
In Rajya Sabha, Opposition parties led by the Congress staged a walkout after their notices for discussions on issues ranging from “duplicate” voter ID cards to US funding to voter turnout were rejected, even as Union minister JP Nadda insisted that the government was ready to discuss any issue, provided they were under the rules.
The Opposition MPs raised slogans after the deputy chairman of the House, Harivansh, said a dozen notices under Rule 267, which calls for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussions on urgent matters, have been rejected. Citing the rejection, Harivansh did not allow Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to make his submission.
The opposition MPs then protested for a while before staging a walkout.
Notices by Opposition
Earlier, Harivansh said 12 notices had been received under Rule 267. Tiruchi N Siva of DMK, CPI’s Santosh Kumar P, Vaiko of MDMK, CPI’s PP Suneer, and P Wilson of DMK demanded discussions on concerns regarding the upcoming delimitation exercise in the southern states.
Trinamool Congress members Saket Gokhale and Sagarika Ghose, along with Pramod Tiwari and Ajay Maken of the Congress demanded discussions over the alleged lapse by the Election Commission in issuing multiple “duplicate” voter ID cards across states.
While Sanjay Singh of AAP demanded a discussion on the financial loss incurred by the small investors due to the continued decline in stock market indices, Ramji Lal Suman of the Samajwadi Party called for a discussion over a statement made by US President Donald Trump on American funding to increase voter turnout in India.
V Sivadasan of the CPI(M) wanted to raise issues faced by Anganwadi and mid-day meal workers.
In this Parliament session, the government is expected to get the Finance Bills passed, while the Opposition will look to confront it on Waqf Bill, NEP, delimitation, and US tariffs, among others. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is also scheduled to table the Budget for Manipur, which is now under President’s Rule.
Also read:
Budget session: 'EPIC' showdown in the offing; Budget, Waqf Bill govt's top priorities
Hindi imposition 2.0? NEP brings TN language warriors back to forefront
Union Cabinet clears 14 changes to Waqf Bill proposed by JPC
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Live Updates
- 11 March 2025 8:44 AM GMT
Centre has no right to withhold funds: DMK MP
Parliament Budget Session: During the DMK protest over Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on NEP, DMK leader Kanimozhi says, "Yesterday, the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan hurt the sentiments of the Tamil people and insulted the representatives of Tamil Nadu. We expect an apology, not just expunging of his statement. We (DMK) have a privilege motion against the Minister. We requested the Speaker to take it up. This is not a small issue, the union government has no right, because it is a budgetary allocation for TN for SSA, just because they are forcing NEP on us, it is in concurrent list, so they have to take our acceptance, before withholding the money, they have no right to do so. They have no right to withhold the money which is going to the students, it is ruining the future of the students. We expect the Minister to apologise and release the fund."
- 11 March 2025 8:40 AM GMT
Congress, BJP clash over the issue of 'Urban Naxal'
BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari says, "We will not leave any space for 'Urban Naxals' in our universities and those who support them, their time isn't long either."
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh asks Tiwari to define who is an 'Urban Naxal'. Tiwari retorts saying this is about ideology and what is already known doesn't need proof. When Ramesh points out that the Union home ministry has (in multiple RTI replies) said there is no official definition of 'Urban Naxal', Tiwari says, "I will urge them (home ministry) to put your photograph (as explanation)".
- 11 March 2025 8:15 AM GMT
Arrogance shown by Pradhan doesn't suit a Cabinet minister: Sena (UBT) MP
On the three-language policy in NEP and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remark, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI news agency, "A solution on the issue of three-language policy and the conflict between Tamil Nadu government and the Union government can only be achieved through dialogue but the arrogance shown by Dharmendra Pradhan yesterday while speaking on the floor of the House does not suit a Cabinet minister. Due to their arrogance, they do not want to listen to the Opposition. They need to understand that the members of DMK have also been elected just like them..." - 11 March 2025 8:09 AM GMT
Digvijaya Singh slams NEP in RS
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh starts discussion in Rajya Sabha on the working of the Education Ministry. He slams the New Education Policy saying there is a huge difference between the recommendations of the Kasturirangan committee and what is included in the NEP. Singh says when the last Education policy was brought in 1986, he was a member of the Lok Sabha and that policy was brought to Parliament for detailed discussion while the current government did not agree for any discussion in Parliament on the NEP.
Singh alleges NEP is anti-poor, runs counter to the vision of Right to Education and favours private schools over government schools.
Singh also alleges that the NCERT, through its course books, is saffronising education, working against syncretic traditions of India by rewriting history in a way that promotes communal discord.
Singh also raises issue of wide-scale vacancies in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Kendriya Vidyalayas, alleging the government is promoting backdoor entry of select people through contractual jobs instead of filling up vacancies.
Singh says there is currently 1 Navodaya Vidyalaya per 21 lakh of the population.
The Congress MP also alleges Centre violating Constitutionally granted rights to the States by denying states such as Tamil Nadu and Bengal funds under PM-SHRI and other education-related schemes.
- 11 March 2025 8:08 AM GMT
Jairam Ramesh on delimitation
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh writes:"The distribution of seats across states in the Lok Sabha is presently based on the 1971 Census. Article 82 that was amended with effect from Feb 2002 provides for a fresh distribution based on the population data from the first Census after 2026. When such a decennial Census will take place is open to question specially since the 2021 Census has yet to be conducted."An analysis done in March 2019 by two scholars Milan Vaishnav and Jamie Hintson using Census 2001 and 2011 data reveals what happens to the distribution of seats if the estimated population of 2026 is used."The states that lose seats are Tamil Nadu (8), Kerala (8), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (8), Odisha (3), West Bengal (4), Karnataka (2), Himachal Pradesh (1), Punjab (1), and Uttarakhand (1)."Assam, J&K, and Maharashtra don’t lose or gain any seat."The states that gain are Uttar Pradesh (11), Bihar (10), Rajasthan (6), Madhya Pradesh (4), Jharkhand (1), Haryana (1), Gujarat (1), Delhi (1), and Chhattisgarh (1)."The states that lose seats will do so simply because of their early success in family planning and reducing total fertility rates which has been the national objective. They will be penalised for it." - 11 March 2025 8:05 AM GMT
Kharge expresses regret
Kharge expresses regret for his remark but says he had not made any remark at the Chair and merely said “hum sarkar ko thokenge”.
Kharge also demands resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for the remarks the latter made in the Lok Sabha yesterday calling DMK MPs “uncivilized” and “dishonest”.
Nadda says he welcomes Kharge’s expression of regret for his comments against the Chair but demands that the LoP’s comments against the government must also be expunged. - 11 March 2025 8:03 AM GMT
Ruckus in RS over Kharge's 'thokenge' remark
LoP Mallikarjun Kharge's slip of tongue triggers ruckus in Rajya Sabha.Ahead of the discussion on the working of the Education Ministry, Kharge rose to make a brief submission when deputy Chairman Harivansh told him that he had been given a chance to speak earlier in the day too and now it was the turn of Congress MP Digvijaya Singh to start the discussion on the working of the Education Ministry.Kharge retorted asking "is this a dictatorship" and went on to add, "We have come prepared for the discussion and we will say what we have to... aur jahaan thokna hoga thokenge bhi (where we are required to attack the government, we will)." Harivansh pointed out Kharge should maintain decorum of language and should have instead said. "We will exchange views".As Treasury MPs began protesting, Leader of the House JP Nadda rose to condemn Kharge and said, "it is a matter of sadness that the LoP, who has an extensive Parliamentary record, has raised such language and also cast aspersions on the Chair; this is to be condemned and the LoP has to apologise... His words, including those against the Chair, are unacceptable and he should either withdraw his words or they should be expunged and he has to apologise". - 11 March 2025 7:26 AM GMT
Politics of dividing South India from North India: BJP MP
On the three-language issue, Rajya Sabha MP Rekha Sharma says, "This is just politics, this is the politics of division. This is the politics of dividing South India from North India...I think the more languages the children learn, the better it is. BJP is not against any language...Do they not want the children there to connect with the North or learn the culture of the North? Why do they want to divide?...They have no answer, only slogans...the public also understands this..." - 11 March 2025 7:25 AM GMT
Voter lists issue serious: TMC MP Saugata Roy
On the alleged fake voter issue, TMC MP Saugata Roy says, "I am happy that the issue I raised has been taken up by the Congress as well... There is a serious issue with the voter lists and it should be worked on." - 11 March 2025 7:23 AM GMT
We always stood by 2-language policy: Vaiko
On three-language policy in NEP and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remark, MDMK MP Durai Vaiko says, " Yesterday, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan lied in the House that Tamil Nadu government had agreed to NEP, but neither CM nor government accepted it...We always stood by the two-language policy...He also uttered unparliamentary words that insulted the people of Tamil Nadu. He has withdrawn his words but we demand an apology from him..."
