New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday alleged the University Grants Commission's (UGC) draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges was an attempt to push the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that aimed to achieve its idea of imposing "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.
Speaking at a protest against the draft UGC regulations organised by the DMK here, Gandhi said the RSS's aim was the eradication of all other histories, cultures and traditions of the country.
"That is its starting point and that is what it wants to achieve. It attacks the (Indian) Constitution because it wants to achieve one idea which is its idea -- one history, one tradition, one language -- on this country," the former Congress chief said.
"This attempt that it is doing with the education system of different states is just another attempt to push its agenda," Gandhi said. "Each state has its traditions, history, language and that is why I keep saying that, in the Constitution, India is called a 'Union of States', that means all these histories, traditions, and languages come together to make India the Union of States and so that is how we have to think about it," he said.
According to the MP from Raebareli, the country has to respect all the languages, cultures, traditions, and histories. "We have to understand where they are coming from. The Tamil people have their history, language, and traditions, and they have had their struggles," he asserted.
"Doing this is an insult to the Tamil people and also to all other states where the RSS is trying to impose its hegemony," he said of the UGC's draft regulations.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav also hit out at the BJP-RSS, alleging that they wanted to take over all the power of state governments.
"They want to make politicians servants of industrialists. We can never support the new education policy… I am supporting all the students here and the decision that you have taken. I am against the NEP (National Education Policy). I am against the BJP," he said.
The Congress has termed the draft UGC regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges "draconian and anti-Constitution" and demanded that those be immediately withdrawn. Hitting out at the Narendra Modi-led government over the draft regulations, the Congress on Wednesday said the justification that the rules had been updated for compliance with NEP, 2020, did not withstand scrutiny and must be rolled back.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh had said the State Higher Education Ministers' Conclave was hosted in Bengaluru by Karnataka minister MC Sudhakar, with six ministers or their representatives from Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand (all-opposition ruled states) adopting a 15-point resolution on the UGC's "draconian" draft regulations.
"The constitutional principle of federalism is sacrosanct and the quality of higher education should be one of the ultimate endeavours of the Union Ministry of Education. NEP, 2020, does not prevail over either and the justification that the rules have been updated for compliance with NEP, 2020, does not withstand scrutiny," he had said. Ramesh had asserted that these draft regulations must be rolled back immediately.
The conclave was organised by the Karnataka government's Department of Higher Education on Wednesday to discuss the various provisions of the draft University Grants Appointment and Promotion of Teachers and Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education Regulations, 2025, and grading of higher education institutions based on the implementation of NEP, 2020.
