National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) members staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday, March 24, against the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, University Grants Commission (UGC) draft rules, and alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress member and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, participated in the protests and criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its influence on the education system.
During his address, Rahul Gandhi accused the RSS of attempting to undermine the Indian education system. He warned that if the education system falls into the hands of RSS, it would negatively impact employment and the country’s future, reported ANI.
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Delhi Police detain protestorsÂ
The protest led to a confrontation between NSUI workers and law enforcement officials, resulting in several detentions by the Delhi Police.
Protestors in large numbers held banners and chanted slogans, demanding changes to NEP 2020 and the withdrawal of the UGC draft rules, with the police detaining them at Jantar Mantar.
Rahul Gandhi attacks BJP and RSS for unemploymentÂ
“See, one organisation is trying to destroy the Indian education system, and that organisation is the RSS. If our education system falls into their hands, the country will be destroyed, and employment will be finished,” Gandhi stated.
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He also alleged that RSS-backed individuals were being appointed as vice-chancellors in universities across the country. “RSS-nominated candidates are now vice-chancellors in universities across India. Now, state universities’ vice-chancellors will be nominated by RSS.”
“The biggest issue in the country is unemployment. A few days ago, the prime minister spoke about the Kumbh Mela. It is good that he spoke about the Kumbh, but I wanted him to speak about employment,” he added, reported ANI.
Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and RSS of prioritising corporate interests over youth employment, saying, “Your government has made the youth of this country unemployed, and you should speak about that too. The BJP-RSS model aimed at give-all-the-wealth-of-the-country to Ambani and Adani and hand over all institutional organisations to the RSS.”
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NSUI protests in Odisha against UGC draft rulesÂ
On March 19, similar demonstrations were held in Odisha, where NSUI activists gathered outside the Odisha Assembly in Bhubaneswar to voice concerns over the UGCs draft regulations. The protest, led by state Congress President Bhakta Charan Das. Several NSUI members were detained, reported PTI.
Das criticised the draft regulations, stating that they propose changes to the eligibility criteria of vice-chancellors, which could affect the quality of education. “If a non-eligible person becomes a VC, the quality of education will be compromised. By taking such a move, the Union government is trying to play with the future of the students,” he said.
Udit Pradhan, NSUI’s Odisha State President, condemned the proposed changes, stating, “We strongly protest the draft UGC regulation and it should be scrapped.”
(With agency inputs)Â
