The Rajya Sabha passed the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill as well as the Repealing and Amending Bill on December 13. The Lok Sabha had cleared both the Bills earlier. While the former Bill is to establish a tribal university in Telangana, as promised in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the latter is to repeal 76 “redundant and obsolete” laws.
The Central Universities Bill was discussed amid Opposition walkout over the security breach in the Lok Sabha. The Opposition demanded an explanation from Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the issue, which was denied by the government. Protesting this, the Opposition MPs walked out. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said the Opposition always walks out when issues of marginalised people are discussed in the House.
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The Bill envisages establishment of the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University in Telangana. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that in Andhra Pradesh, a tribal university had been set up already and the campus had started functioning. “If the Telangana government had cooperated at the right time, this university would have come up by now. They took a long time to provide land, so there was delay in the implementation,” he said.
Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda, who intervened in the debate, said the decision is also a reflection of the Centre’s efforts to accommodate everyone in the country’s journey towards development.
The Congress said the Centre did not do anything to set up the university for nine years. Party general secretary and MP Jairam Ramesh said on social media that item 3 of Schedule 13 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, mandated the establishment of a Central Tribal University in Telangana. “For nine years, the Modi government did nothing. Suddenly on October 1, 2023, in one of his election speeches in the State, the Prime Minister announced that such a tribal university was going to be created in Telangana,” he said.
More defunct laws to go
The Repealing and Amending Bill was piloted by Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. He said the Centre repealed 1,486 defunct laws so far since 2014 and the aim of these steps is to improve ease of living for the common man. The number of deleted laws will now be 1,562 as the new Bill added 76 more such laws. “Modi ji has a principle of minimum government, maximum governance, we are moving swiftly in this direction. It will improve ease of doing business and living,” Mr. Meghwal said.
The Bill repeals Land Acquisition (Mines) Act, 1885; the Telegraph Wires (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1950; and certain Appropriation Acts, among other laws.
