New Delhi: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the recent controversies over UGC equity rules and NCERT textbooks “were avoidable”.““I accept that these (controversies) are avoidable, especially the way they are presented. Discussions in the society on UGC issues are held in courts and sanctioned by the Supreme Court, so I cannot comment publicly. But I want to assure citizens that we are not in favor of harming anyone,” Pradhan said at the Times Now Summit on Friday.
He stressed that the government has a constitutional responsibility to ensure that no form of discrimination occurs.“This (UGC matter) is before the courts; once the courts frame it, the government will implement the system as per the constitution,” he added.The UGC guidelines released in January triggered protests from some quarters, including within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, who claimed the norms were discriminatory. The Supreme Court later granted the temporary stay, finding that they appeared “vague” on their face and could be abused.The Center said the UGC regulations were drafted to curb discrimination against SC, ST and OBC students, providing for an equal opportunities cell, 24/7 helpline and strict complaint redressal schedule, but faced controversy for alleged ambiguity and unfairness towards general category students, leading to calls for re-drafting. Regarding the NCERT issue, the minister pointed out that the Supreme Court has provided some guidance on the matter.“It is said that a well-monitored chapter will be added under its supervision and we are engaged in the work. A committee has also been constituted, a three-member committee headed by Justice Indu Malhotra. The court has also asked for inclusion of Bhopal Law Academy. All these works are in progress and the chapter is being prepared. It will be submitted to the court and supplemented accordingly,” Pradhan said.Earlier this month, NCERT publicly apologized for including a chapter on judicial corruption in a textbook that was criticized by the Supreme Court and announced that it would withdraw the entire textbook.An eighth-grade social studies textbook points to corruption, a massive backlog of cases and a shortage of judges as among the challenges facing the judicial system.Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed displeasure over the chapter on judicial corruption and demanded “accountability”.(with PTI input)
