Symptom of 'diseased education system': Jairam Ramesh's dig at VP's 'students going abroad' remark
New Delhi, Oct 20: Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday took a swipe at Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar over his remarks that going abroad had become the "new disease" afflicting students, saying it is not a disease but merely a symptom of a "diseased education system, one that is getting worse by political interference".
Speaking in Rajasthan's Sikar, Dhankhar had said on Saturday that going abroad is the new disease afflicting the children of the country. He had described it as both a "forex drain and brain drain".
Tagging a media report on Dhankhar's remarks, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, "The Honourable Vice President has lamented that going abroad has become a new disease for students.
"Actually, it is an old disease that has afflicted students for many decades. I too contracted this virus in 1975, but recovered in time to come back to India in 1980," Ramesh said.
Students go abroad now for many reasons. The CUET drives many youngsters away. The gaps in the quality of education and professional opportunities are all too apparent. The way many of these institutions are run is a turn off, the Congress leader said.
"Students going abroad is not the disease, it's merely a symptom of a diseased education system, one that is getting worse by political interference," Ramesh said.
In his remarks, Dhankhar said, "There is another new disease among children - of going abroad. The child enthusiastically wants to go abroad, he sees a new dream; but there is no assessment of which institution he is going to, which country he is going to."
"It is estimated that in 2024, about 13 lakh students went abroad. What will happen to their future is being assessed, people are now understanding how bright their future would have been if they had studied here," he had said.
They have created a hole of USD 6 billion in our foreign exchange, he said.
"Imagine, if 6 billion US dollars are funnelled into improving the infrastructure of educational institutions, where will we stand! I call this a forex drain and brain drain," Dhankhar said.
The Honourable Vice President has lamented that going abroad has become a new disease for students.
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) October 20, 2024
Actually, it is an old disease that has afflicted students for many decades. I too contracted this virus in 1975, but recovered in time to come back to India in 1980.
Students go… https://t.co/st0Y5Xh63P
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
