Opposition twisting progressive education norms into imaginary threats: Pradhan on draft UGC regulations

NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday stepped up an attack on the Congress and opposition members for criticising the draft UGC regulations, alleging they are twisting progressive educational reforms into imaginary threats to sustain their outdated political narratives.

The comments by the minister came following Congress leader and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's allegations that the University Grants Commission's (UGC) draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges were an attempt to push the agenda of the RSS to achieve its idea of imposing "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.

Pradhan said it is both "unfortunate" and "concerning" to see how some political leaders, including the LoP, "twist progressive educational reforms into imaginary threats to sustain their outdated political narratives". "The UGC draft regulations aim to broaden horizons, not narrow them.

Pradhan defends UGC draft regulations as progressive reforms

They seek to include more voices, not silence them. "They uphold institutional autonomy and our linguistic diversity. They strengthen our academic institutions, not weaken them. But perhaps these facts are too inconvenient for those who prefer rhetoric over reality," Pradhan said in a post on X.

He said opposing something just for the sake of opposing it may be fashionable, it may be a good political posturing but is certainly petty politics.

"I would humbly suggest that Shri @RahulGandhi and the self-proclaimed champions of Constitution invest some time in actually reading the draft regulations before launching their rehearsed political performances," he added.

The Congress has termed the draft UGC regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges "draconian and anti-Constitution", and demanded that those be immediately withdrawn. Six ministers or their representatives from Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand (all opposition-ruled states) on Thursday adopted a 15-point resolution on the UGC's draft Regulations, 2025.