Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament
New Delhi: 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.
