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The Lok Sabha started debating the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday. It will establish the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University, in Telangana. Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar moved the Bill and said the university honours the tribals of Telangana. He said it showed the respect the government has for tribals and their culture. The discussion will continue on Thursday.
The Centre says the new university will cater to regional aspirations. “It will increase access to and quality of higher education. The varsity will also promote higher education and provide research facilities. It will promote advanced knowledge by providing instructional and research facilities in tribal art, culture and customs and advancement in technology to the tribal population of India,” said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The establishment of this university is obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
Dropout rate rose
Initiating the debate, Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka said the number of adivasis joining higher educational institutions had fallen under the NDA regime. He said the dropout rate for dalits and adivasis increased and demanded that syllabuses be student-centric so people from marginalised communities could benefit. He urged the Centre to fill posts lying vacant in central universities.
BJP MP Sunita Duggal said the university will serve as a centre to promote research into tribal culture and history. Congratulating the Centre for establishing the university, she pointed out that tribals had supported the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.
NCP member Supriya Sule wanted to know why the University Grants Commission was asking colleges to set up selfie points with PM Narendra Modi’s photograph in the backdrop. “We send our children to colleges to study and not to learn how to take a selfie,” she said.
DMK leader A Raja said it is the duty of Parliament to preserve the reservation rights of SC , ST and OBC communities. He questioned the Centre’s commitment to reservation. He said suicides by students from marginalised communities are increasing in the IITs and IIMs.
