Rahul Gandhi urges PM Modi to convene special Parliament session on Operation Sindoor, ceasefire
New Delhi: Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the immediate convening of a special session of Parliament to discuss the recent Pahalgam terror attack, Operation Sindoor, and the ceasefire announced between India and Pakistan.
In his letter dated Sunday, Rahul Gandhi reiterated the “unanimous request of the Opposition” to hold the session in light of escalating tensions and the need for national consensus. He emphasized the importance of Parliament deliberating on these critical issues, calling it “crucial for the people and their representatives to discuss.”
“This will also be an opportunity to demonstrate our collective resolve to meet the challenges ahead,” Gandhi wrote, referring to the recent ceasefire agreement and the military developments preceding it.
Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, also echoed the demand in a separate letter. He referenced an earlier appeal dated April 28, 2025, which sought a joint session in response to the Pahalgam terror incident. Kharge said the recent ceasefire, initially announced by U.S. President Donald Trump and subsequent developments made the session even more urgent.
The India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement came after three days of intense military confrontation, during which Operation Sindoor was carried out by Indian forces on May 7. The operation targeted nine terror infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, in retaliation for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.
Despite the ceasefire announcement, Pakistani drones reportedly violated the truce within hours, entering Indian airspace over Jammu, Srinagar, Punjab, and Rajasthan, prompting further defense action.
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Bill to set up single higher education regulator likely to be tabled in Parliament next week
New Delhi (PTI): A Bill which seeks to set up a single regulator for institutions of higher education is required to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing, officials said.
The Bill is likely to be introduced in Parliament next week after it got the Union Cabinet's nod on Friday.
The proposed legislation, which was earlier christened the Higher Education Commission of India (HECI) Bill, has now been named Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhikshan Bill.
A single higher education regulator, which was proposed in the new National Education Policy (NEP), looks to replace the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE).
"The Bill proposes to set up a Higher Education Commission of India to facilitate universities and other higher educational institutes become independent and self-governing institutions and to promote excellence through a robust and transparent system of accreditation and autonomy. It is likely to be introduced (in Parliament) in the coming week," an official said.
While the UGC presently oversees non-technical higher education in the country, the AICTE oversees technical education, while the NCTE is the regulatory body for teachers' education.
The Commission is proposed to be set up as a single higher education regulator, but medical and law colleges will not be brought under its ambit.
It is proposed to have three major roles -- regulation, accreditation and setting professional standards, officials said.
Funding, which is seen as the fourth vertical, is not proposed to be under the regulator so far. The autonomy for funding is proposed to be with the administrative ministry, they said.
