Don't create fear among Muslims, agenda won't last long: Dharmendra Pradhan to opposition in LS
New Delhi, Aug 1: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday asked the opposition not to create fear among the Muslim community over an alleged lack of equal opportunities for minorities and asserted that the government did not differentiate between citizens.
Responding to a debate on the demands for grants for the Union education ministry in the Lok Sabha, Pradhan also asserted that the government did not impose any language.
Sharing figures to counter suggestions that Muslims and other minorities were not being given equal opportunities in education, the minister said, "Don't spread fear among Muslims, this will not last long."
Pradhan noted that the transition ratio from classes 5 to 6 among Muslim students stood at 89.2, which was close to the national average of 93.2.
"Aligarh Muslim University was set up in 1875 and no woman vice-chancellor was appointed in all these years. It happened during our tenure that a woman professor who studied at the same university was appointed as vice-chancellor … on the basis of merit … there is no charity," he said.
"Earlier, they used to say that you appoint people with RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) affiliation. It is not like that … She is not from RSS affiliation … If a Muslim woman progresses on the basis of merit, we should be proud," Pradhan said.
"We (government) do not differentiate … It is just your perspective, your opinion … You might have an agenda of creating an atmosphere of fear and it is not going to work for long," he added.
The education minister said the higher education Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) rose by 32 per cent in 2021-22 over 2014-15.
"The national average transition ratio from classes 5 to 6 is 93.2. Among Muslims students, this ratio is 89.2, which is close to the national average," he said.
"The transition ratio from upper primary to secondary school, which refers to students moving from classes 8 to 9, the national average is 88.8 and among Muslims it is 82.2," he added.
The minister said there was a need to encourage competency-based education and the new National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, was a step in that direction.
"NEP is not just a 60-page policy document. It is a philosophical element for the reconstruction of India, for increasing brotherhood … For solving all the problems of the world. The country accepts it unanimously today," he said.
The minister noted that 3.84 per cent of GDP was spent on education in 2013-14.
"In 2020-21, it increased to 4.64 per cent of GDP. The way the size of our economy is growing, we will soon reach 6 per cent and more GDP spending on education," he said.
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‘Bulldozer Justice’ is like bulldozing the Constitution: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has strongly criticised the practice of demolishing the properties of individuals accused of crimes, equating it to bulldozing the Constitution and undermining the rule of law.
Speaking at the 13th Justice PN Bhagwati International Moot Court Competition on Human Rights at Bharati Vidyapeeth New Law College in Pune, Justice Bhuyan described the trend as "disturbing" and "depressing." He questioned the justification of such actions, often defended as targeting illegal structures, and highlighted their impact on the families of the accused.
"Using a bulldozer to demolish a property is like running a bulldozer over the Constitution. It is a negation of the very concept of the rule of law and, if not checked, would destroy the very edifice of our justice delivery system," he said, as quoted by Bar and Bench.
The practice of ‘bulldozer justice’ gained prominence in Uttar Pradesh under the Yogi Adityanath government in 2017 and has since been adopted in other states. The Supreme Court had previously deemed this approach unacceptable under the rule of law.
Justice Bhuyan emphasised that demolitions impact not just the accused but their families as well. "In that house, his mother stays there, his sister stays there, his wife stays there, his children stay there. What is their fault?" he asked. He further questioned whether it was justifiable to render an accused or even a convicted person homeless through such measures.
On the same day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, responding to queries about the recent violence in Nagpur, indicated that the government might consider similar measures. "The Maharashtra government has its own style of working… bulldozer will roll when necessary," he said.
Violence erupted in central Nagpur following rumours that a sacred text was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing group demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Justice Bhuyan, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2023 after serving as Chief Justice of the Telangana High Court, reiterated the importance of upholding due process and warned against actions that undermine constitutional principles.
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