BJP misunderstood Rahul Gandhi's statement: Home Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru: Home Minister G. Parameshwara has stated that the BJP has failed to understand the statements made by Lok Sabha Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi, leading to ongoing confusion among its members.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashiva Nagar, Parameshwara said that Hinduism promotes unity and peace among all sections of society. He clarified that Gandhi's remarks were directed at those who oppose these principles, indicating the BJP's misinterpretation of his speech.
Addressing the issue of changing the police commissioner in Bangalore, Parameshwara mentioned that he meets the Chief Minister daily to discuss various departmental issues that require attention and decisions. He highlighted the need for constant communication when making government decisions.
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In response to DK Shivakumar's statement about issuing notices to those making public statements regarding the posts of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, Parameshwara explained that it is the party president's responsibility to issue such notices. He stressed that party members, legislators, and ministers should operate within the party's framework, and any deviations would be addressed by the party president and the disciplinary committee.
Regarding the new criminal laws, Parameshwara noted that while some provisions are beneficial, others require debate and revision. He acknowledged that millions of cases will be registered under the new laws, and staff training is underway. He also spoke on the importance of discussing these laws with the central government to address any issues.
Parameshwara also addressed allegations of illegal activities in MUDA by officials, stating that transfers and departmental inquiries are standard procedures. He assured that if any illegality is found, it will be handed over to the police for investigation.
Reacting to H. Vishwanath's allegations against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara said that not all claims made by certain individuals are true and that the facts will be investigated before making any conclusions.
About actor Darshan receiving special treatment in jail, Parameshwara clarified that no special facilities are provided and invited those raising doubts to visit the jail to verify the claims themselves.
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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