Dharmendra Pradhan Defends NEP, HEFA Loans, and UGC Reforms Amid Kharge’s Criticism

Congress accuses PM Modi and BJP of misleading youth; Education Minister defends reforms, dismisses allegations on HEFA loans, NTSE halt, and NEP

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has responded sharply to allegations made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge in a series of tweets. Pradhan accused the Congress of maintaining a decades-long history of undermining India's education system and claimed that the party continues to mislead the youth for political gains.

"The Congress, which kept the country's education system in a bad state and corrupt for decades, still has the same mentality. The Congress can never accept that the youth of the country should be educated and the country should develop. That is why spreading confusion on issues like education, misleading the youth, and wanting to spread unrest in the country has become the policy of the entire Congress party, including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge," Pradhan wrote.

Addressing specific allegations, Pradhan refuted claims about changes in UGC regulations and financial policies. He emphasized that the structure of the selection committee under the UGC Regulations 2025 mirrors that of the UGC Regulations 2010 and reiterated the longstanding role of Governors in vice-chancellor appointments.

Pradhan also dismissed Congress’s opposition to the National Education Policy (NEP), asserting, "The Congress party has a problem with the NEP, which has been wholeheartedly accepted by all sections of the country, including the youth, because it has elements of Indianness. This is the same party that weakened the Indian education system and erased our glorious cultural heritage from textbooks while in power."

Earlier, Kharge had tweeted: “Narendra Modi Ji, you blow your own trumpet with ‘Pariksha Par Charcha’ and ‘Exam Warriors,’ but National Talent Search Examination Scholarship (NTSE) has been discontinued for three years, as revealed by newspapers. This scheme, which has been running since 1963, should have cost ₹40 crores, but ₹62 crores have been spent on Modi ji’s PR.”

Kharge also criticized the BJP-led government for its education policies, alleging that the UGC's Draft Regulations 2025 grant governors disproportionate control over vice-chancellor appointments, compromising federalism and state rights. He further claimed that financial support for universities has been shifted from UGC to HEFA, a venture with Canara Bank, burdening institutions with loans rather than direct funding.

“Controlling universities, throttling autonomous institutions, imposing the RSS’s Manuwadi ideology on public education, and betraying the youth — this is the education policy of the Modi government,” Kharge concluded in his tweet.

Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to interact with students, parents, and teachers during the eighth edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha 2025 (PPC) this month. The initiative, aimed at reducing exam stress, has garnered over 3 crore registrations globally. January 14, today marks the last date to register for the event.

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