No tinkering with reservation: Government

After Opposition in Rajya Sabha on Thursday slammed the draft as one lifted out of RSS documents, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar said only inputs or comments had been sought on a draft for which the deadline too has been extended till Sept. 15. While the debate on the draft education policy had remained inconclusive on Thursday, Deputy Chairman P J Kurien said the short duration discussion was not over and it would be completed whenever time permits, including in the next session. Friday was the last day of the monsoon session and the matter was listed for further discussion in the agenda. 

As members protested and demanded that the debate be concluded, Javadekar sought to allay fears through a brief statement. “We are not tinkering with any provision of Constitution with regard to reservation or minority education institutions,” he said. The government, he said, wanted suggestions on the draft policy from everyone. “We believe in democracy... we believe education must be imparted with the objective of raising standard of lives.” 

Opposition benches however wanted the debate to be completed on Friday and the minister to give a detailed reply.  Kanimozhi (DMK) vehemently protested on the issue but Kurien said Zero Hour submissions would be taken up and whenever time permits the discussion would resume, including in the Winter Session. On Thursday, Sitaram Yechury (CPM) had said the draft policy was a lift from an RSS document presented in Amarkantak and in the name of Vedic education, the study of history was being converted into the study of Hindu mythology.