Deadline for feedback extended amid slugfest

The political slugfest over the draft University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations intensified on Thursday, with Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan terming "unfortunate" and "concerning" the criticism of the draft norms by Opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who alleged the move was an attempt to push RSS's agenda of imposing "one history, one tradition, one language" on the country.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

Meanwhile, UGC extended till February 28 the date for receiving feedback on its draft regulations on the appointment of teachers and academic staff in universities and colleges. Earlier, the stakeholders were supposed to send feedback by February 5.

Pradhan's comments came hours after Gandhi, the leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav took part in a protest against the draft regulations called by DMK's student wing at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.

"It is both unfortunate and concerning to see how some political leaders twist progressive educational reforms into imaginary threats to sustain their outdated political narratives," Pradhan said on X.

"The UGC draft regulations aim to broaden horizons, not narrow them. 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," he added.