Author: aitc

Sir, I lay on the Table, a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Eighth Report of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit.

Sir, I thank you for this opportunity and I am reminded that exactly five years ago, you were gracious enough to
preside over my farewell at a time when there was a lot of palpable tension about my departure from Government. I saw the degree of pettiness that I thought I would never live to see, but you rose above that pettiness to say
very gracious words. They are inscribed in my heart and that is the impression I have carried one who rises above pettiness and is known to be gracious. I followed your knowledgeable interventions and speeches and that is one thing that I bemoan. I often feel that I am wasting my time because the quality of debate in the House is not packed with that degree of knowledge any more for various reasons. I have not been able to communicate in the last one year or so because much of it went in disruptions and I am not comfortable with disruptive politics. I understand and support the need for protest. Protest is an essential ingredient of democracy but there are Members who are more comfortable with it that side, but I am not comfortable. I shall remember your fairness … : I shall remember your fairness both as a Minister– I have had the good fortune of having fair Ministers like you, Mr. Jaitley and Mr. Javadekar–and in the Chair. But, fairness comes with a certain degree of brutality. It is inevitable. I would only say that 73 is not an age to retire. There are temptations and many of allurements of retirement at an early age
come from the people around you with intentions, good or otherwise. But, having said that, I would still say that you will continue to hold your head high and continue to contribute, and though the woods are lovely, dark and
deep, there are miles to go before you sleep, and miles to go before you sleep. Thank you, Sir.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy Chairman, Sir, for allowing me to speak on this Bill, the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022. Since we are discussing the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill today, I would humbly request the Chancellor of the Vishwa Bharati University, another Central University, who is also our hon. Prime Minister,
to share his wisdom by being here. We will all benefit from his insights. This Bill seeks to amend the Central Universities Act, 2009 by converting the NRTI into a Central University. I am in favour of it, Sir. I am glad that the House is running today all through, Coming to the point, first of all, education being in the Concurrent List, I would like to know whether the concerned State Governments have been consulted to give their points of note of dissent or
consent towards this. If no, it is again unfortunate. It is good that another university is getting the status of a Central University. We are proud, but I have one clarification. Why should the Railway Department bear the cost? Why not the Education Ministry or UGC pay the same? However, there is a need to address some of the existing issues faced by various Central Universities. Most Central Universities across the country lack adequate infrastructure and face big fund shortages. Even the existing infrastructure in these universities is breaking down. The facilities provided to the residential students are also depleting day by day. The 2021-22 Budget allocation for education has decreased by six per cent as compared to 2020-21. This year, there was only a five per cent increase over the allocation of 2020-21. This is extremely low for post-pandemic recovery. The Budget for the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) was also cut from Rs. 3000 crores to Rs. 2000 crores. It is again unfortunate. A Centrally sponsored scheme, RUSA
supports State higher educational institutions, especially those that give priority to education in backward and aspirational districts. While I am speaking on this Bill, allow me to point out that earlier, six out of ten Bills were sent for parliamentary scrutiny. This was done to improve the quality of legislation. Now, Sir, only about one out of ten Bills is sent for scrutiny. This is a dangerous trend. Sir, I am speaking on the subject. For today’s Bill, I thank you,
Sir, for allowing adequate time and having a healthy discussion. Now, I would like to highlight how our universities are suffering because of such fund shortages. The Andhra Pradesh Central University set up in 2014, after bifurcation of the State, is in shambles. Between 2014-15 and 2021-22, budget for some of the gems in India’s educational system has been cut. The overall funding for Jamia Milia University witnessed a sharp fall. The overall allocation for Aligarh Muslim University has been reduced sharply by Rs. 306 crores between 2020-21 and 2021-22. It fell from Rs. 1,520 crores in 2020-21 to Rs. 1,215 crores in 2021-22. So far, we have come to know that. The diversity of India’s educational system is with institutions like these and many hundreds of premium educational institutions run by minority communities, including Christian Missionaries, but imparting education to all communities, must be protected. Sir, why is infrastructure so neglected? I urge upon the Government to pay attention and provide adequate funds for betterment. Sir, now, I say a few words about my State, West Bengal, where the Government has introduced multiple schemes to support higher education. The West Bengal Government has launched schemes like Swami Vivekananda Merit-cum-Means Scholarship for UG, PG and even for Ph.D. courses across all subjects. Our Flagship Scheme, Kanyashree Prakalpa, has currently around 70 lakh beneficiaries. The scheme has been awarded
by the United Nations Public Service Awards and has also been recognized by the UNICEF. I would, now, like to draw the Government’s attention to the issue of vacancies in the Central Universities under the SC, ST and OBC categories. Sir, the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, mandates 15 per cent, 7.5 per cent and 27 per cent quota for SC, ST and OBC students respectively. However, the intake of students under the
reserved categories in the Central Universities is much lower than the mandated norms. I urge upon the Government to look into this also. Sir, I would, again, like to emphasize on a very important point. We have waited for 12 days in this Session for discussion on Price Rise, but the Government told us that the House cannot discuss the Price Rise issue, because… Sir, it is related. It is because the hon. Finance Minister was not available and she will only reply to the debate. But, however, today, we are seeing that the same Government did not think for a moment to allow
the hon. Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology to pilot a Bill on education. According to the data from the Ministry of Education, there are 880 vacancies for the post of Professor across the five backward categories of SC, ST, OBC, EWS and PWD in 43 Central Universities. Similarly, the number of vacancies for Associate Professors and Assistant Professors are 1,624 and 1,793 respectively. But, they have also been reduced. My last point is: There is an urgent need to fill these vacancies to ensure adequate representation across all sections of people. At the same time, the Government needs to ensure that sufficient infrastructure facilities and adequate funds are made available to all the Central Universities. I support this Bill to make Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya a Central University hoping that the hon. Minister would address all other issues raised. Thank you.

Sir, I would like to draw the kind attention of this august House that on the night of 30th June, 2022, a huge landslide struck the 11 Gorkha Rifles personnel stationed at Manipur, which led to the tragic death of several Gorkha Regiment personnel while several others are still missing. I humbly urge this august House to draw the kind attention of the Defence Minister to urgently provide jobs to the next of kin of the deceased personnel and grant compensation to all who lost their lives, those who are missing and those are severely injured. Thank you.

Sir, the Ordinance Factory Schools, which were under OFB, the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, are
going to be closed, rather have been closed, as OFB has been dismantled already by the Government of India. The Central Government now has formed 7 DPSUs instead of OFB. If the OFB schools may come under those DPSUs all over, we will be obliged. In fact, 24 schools were situated in different parts of the country in different States like UP, MP, Odisha, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Tami Nadu, etc. Many of these schools have more than 100
years of history. For decades, these schools have been providing fruitful generation for the nation. These schools are running from primary to secondary level. Approximately, 20,000 students are studying in these schools where free education is provided from I to VIII and fee structure is between Rs.100 to Rs.200 annually from IX to XII. Obviously, students’ strength is much higher where majority SC, ST, OBC and lower-middle class students are studying in these schools. Keeping all the facts and findings, I urge upon the Central Government, hon. Minister of Defence, through you, to keep away these schools from the process of corporatisation and continue to run these under MOD only, under DPSUs, instead of OFB to save the students and the schools as well to continue for this academic session accordingly.

Sir, just after Independence, in undivided Andhra Pradesh, those who owned agricultural land, how did they show how well-off they are and how important they are in that area? They had a very interesting way of showing. They didn’t show, it just that they had, the number of bullocks you owned, the number of pairs of bullocks you owned. If you owned, two pairs of bullocks, you were quite well off; if you owned four pairs of bullocks, you were even better off, and a few families owned six or eight pairs of bullocks. One such family owned eight pairs of bullocks, so good so far. But, one day, one of these animals, they went totally nutty and the bullock actually gorged a lady in the stomach. The lady was carrying a baby or a one year old boy, dropped the child, obviously. The lady was taken to the hospital and the lady passed away, and the child lost his mother at the age of one. This is your story, Sir, of an early loss, and from that early loss, whatever you have done which we can find, not only in Wikipedia entries but in a glorious career you have had. I don’t want to go there today because, I think, we have lots of speakers, so, we will all talk about that. I am sure that will make a good story for your autobiography which you must write. I have had many experiences with you, but a few I am going to talk about today and I, certainly, don’t expect answers for any of those, but maybe one day you will write an autobiography! So, this child who lost his mother in these tragic circumstances, of this agricultural family, cut to September 20, 2020. To me, that was a very important day in my outlook about you and maybe, you will answer that question some day in your autobiography! On September, 20, 2020, the day this House passed the Farm Bills, you were not on the Chair. You were not. Sir, you are the only Vice-President who has served four terms as a Rajya Sabha M.P. You are the only Vice-President who has visited every Indian State, all 28 States,
including the States in the North-East. Sir, these we know but some day you will give us the answers. When I first came here, you used to sit this side, and I remember, on the 2nd of September, 2013–I think, your seat was just
here–you made a passionate speech on petrol and diesel. Sir, one day you will tell us in your autobiography; anyway, let us not go there. On the 1st of March, 2013–I remember one more speech of yours, you led the discussion–Mr. Jaitley was on that side and you made a intervention for about five to six minutes on phone tapping. And you have really given one piece of advice to us, the Opposition and the Government; it is, “Talk to each other and solve.” think that is one take, the take-away; in the meetings, we know, sometimes, what happens in Chambers stays in Chambers. But you used to always say–you talk in the same tone when you talk to the Government, and when you talk to
Opposition–“Talk and Solve.” And nobody is perfect. Earlier, today, some point was made about productivity in Rajya Sabha. Yes, Sir; you have been the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. We want to congratulate you. If you look at the productivity numbers and the number of Bills passed, you were there. But there is another side to this argument. And as you leave today, Sir, we would urge upon you because you have, at least, twenty more years to offer in public life and these are the thoughts we would urge on you. I say because there is another school of thought which thinks that * And you have often advised us to send Bills to Committees; like, why only six out of ten or why only one out of ten Bills are going! You would say, “Send Bills, scrutinize these Bills”. So these are the issues, which I am sure, you will address because I know, autobiography or no autobiography, you will speak your mind and you will guide us. Sir, of all the happy things we remember is the great food you served us and the great host that you are. Not only you, but, I think, equal credit should go to Mrs. Naidu. Every time you hosted any MP, all of us, in the Vice-President’s House, it was absolutely wonderful and since I eat mostly non-vegetarian food, that became even better. Sir, we wish you and Mrs. Naidu, on behalf of my party, the All India Trinamool Congress, and everybody, happy years ahead. And, I remember, as you once mentioned, “You are the ‘Chief’ outside; but you have a ‘Home Minister’ at home, who actually controls whatever is going on”. Sir, the Prime Minister, very nicely put it in his speech where he said, “Every word you said is revered and it is preferred”. Yes, Sir, we would like to add to that. We wanted you to stay here longer, the fact that you are going is, actually, deferred.

Sir, India has nearly 7,000 kilometres of coastline, of which Bengal has over 500 kilometres. A Ministry of Earth Sciences report on ‘National Assessment of Shoreline Changes along Indian Coast’ shows that between 1900 and 2018, 34% of India’s coastline suffered erosion, 26% experiences accretion and 40% is stable. Of this, on the Eastern coast, Bengal suffered 60.5% erosion, and on the West coast Kerala suffered 46.4% erosion. Over long periods of
time, sediment and rocks along the coastline are weathered away due to the action of waves, tides, currents, cyclones and winds. With the emergence of the threat of global warming and rise in sea levels due to melting of polar ice caps, a new threat has emerged of submergence of coastal areas. Activities such as construction of coastal structures, breach and mining and dams on rivers can exacerbate the problem. In Bengal, there are more than 32 lakh people including fishermen who are directly engaged in fishing and people indirectly dependent on the fishing industry for livelihood and sustenance. These communities live and work by the coast, often in very precarious conditions. Small scale fishing industries generate an annual turnover of nearly Rs.500 crores. Fishing and aquaculture account for 1% of India’s GDP with Bengal and Andhra Pradesh accounting for the largest share of this. I request the Government to ensure that the fragile ecosystems of coastal regions, people of the coastal areas, and their livelihoods are protected from erosion.

Sir, I wish to draw the attention of the Chair and the Council to the fact that the Government has not released
any new household Consumer Expenditure Survey for the last ten years. As we all realize, there can be no worthwhile official data for estimating poverty and ratios based on consumption and, as a result, it is extremely difficult to do proper planning for targeting Government welfare schemes. The Government has cited that there were data quality issues in the 2017-18 Survey that stopped it from releasing the entire data set but till date we have not been enlightened on what exactly these issues are. Economists, planners and administrators feel that if the CES is
conducted every year or every alternative year, instead of having it in every five years, it would benefit the nation in assessing incomes, expenditure and the really needy strata. In any case, the Government is advised to realize the gravity of the meaningful data and pay more attention to the Consumer Expenditure Survey data that it has not been releasing for ten years and more. I urge the Government to release the said data immediately.