CM Siddaramaiah challenges PM Modi's statements on Congress manifesto
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has issued a strong response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent comments regarding the Congress manifesto. Siddaramaiah welcomed Modi to Karnataka, referring to him as the "lord of lies," and urged him to introspect if he has a conscience. The CM posed several questions to Modi, demanding clarification on various statements made by him.
Siddaramaiah questioned Modi's assertion that the Congress party, if elected, would conduct a survey of the country's wealth and distribute it to Muslim families with seven children. He challenged Modi to provide evidence for this claim and asked for clarification on which page of the Congress manifesto this promise was made. He also demanded an apology from Modi if these accusations were found to be false.
Regarding the issue of inheritance tax, Siddaramaiah clarified that the Congress manifesto does not mention anything about imposing such a tax. He explained that while Sam Pitroda had mentioned the topic for discussion, it was not part of the party's official platform. Siddaramaiah pointed out that it was Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, a colleague of Modi, who had initiated discussions on inheritance tax. He questioned whether Sitharaman would now be labeled a traitor.
Siddaramaiah also criticized Modi's government for reducing corporate tax rates, which he claimed resulted in a loss of revenue amounting to Rs 1.81 lakh crore. He accused the government of favoring corporate entities over the welfare of the poor.
The Chief Minister highlighted the Congress party's commitment to conducting a social and economic survey in the country to ensure equal distribution of wealth, as envisioned by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. He accused Modi of distorting the Congress's goal of equitable wealth distribution and challenged him to openly declare if he opposes the constitutional ideals of economic and social democracy.
Siddaramaiah concluded by questioning Modi's policies on loan waivers for farmers and the privatization of public-owned enterprises. He accused Modi of favoring wealthy businessmen over the interests of farmers and the public.
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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.
