Supreme Court hears plea against UP government’s directive on Kanwar Yatra eateries. Opposition criticises move as communal, divisive ahead of Parliament session

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Economic Survey 2023/24 in Parliament Monday, a day before she will present a record seventh union budget. Ms Sitharaman described the economy as being on a “strong wicket and stable footing” and resilient in the face of geopolitical challenges.

She said economic growth in FY24 was an estimated 8.2 per cent and that the economy is expected to grow between 6.5 and 7 per cent in FY25. Headline inflation – which the Reserve Bank expects at 4.5 per cent in FY25 and 4.1 per cent the following year – is “under control”, she also said.

The inflation rate of some food items, however, is elevated, the government admitted.

“The Indian economy is on a strong wicket and stable footing (and) demonstrating resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. The economy has consolidated post-Covid recovery with policymakers – fiscal and monetary – ensuring economic and financial stability…” the report said.

But “change is the only constant for a country with high growth aspirations…” the Economic Survey also said, noting that for this high-recovery phase to be sustained “there has to be heavy lifting on the domestic front…” because a tricky global environment had made it difficult to reach agreements on key issues, including trade, investment, and climate change.

Faced with an all-out attack by the Opposition over the NEET row and questions on whether he has considered resigning, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said he is on the post “at the mercy of my leader” and that the government is “collectively answerable”.

Questioning the Centre’s response to alleged paper leaks in competitive exams, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said this government will create new records in paper leaks. “Students across the country are protesting. Investigation is leading to revelations, arrests are being made. I have only one request, students will not get justice if this minister continues,” he said.

In response, Mr Pradhan said the results have been made public as per the Supreme Court’s directions. “I don’t want to do politics, but I have a list of how many paper leaks happened when Akhilesh Yadav was in charge (as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister),” he said.

The most scathing attack from the Opposition benches came from Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi. “It’s obvious to the whole country that there is a very serious problem in our examination system. The minister has blamed everybody except himself. I don’t even think he understands the fundamentals of what is going on here,” the Congress leader said.

“This issue is there are millions are students in this country who are extremely concerned at what is going on and who are convinced that the Indian examination system is a fraud. That is what is at stake here. Millions of people believe that if you are rich, you can buy the Indian examination system. This is the same feeling people in the Opposition have,” he said, asking what the government is doing to fix this issue at a systemic level.

Hitting back, Mr Pradhan said he has the support of the people in his constituency and does not need a certification of intelligence from anyone in Parliament. “Lies will not become truth if you shout. The country’s examination system has been called rubbish. There cannot be a more unfortunate statement by the Leader of the Opposition. I condemn this.”

The Education Minister then took a “remote control” jab — a swipe the BJP routinely uses to target the Manmohan Singh government. “In 2010, three Bills for education reforms had been introduced by their minister Kapil Sibal. One of them was to prohibit unfair practices. What was their problem? Under whose pressure was that Bill withdrawn. Was it due to the pressure of private medical colleges? And they are asking us questions” he said.

Responding to the Opposition’s allegations, the minister said the NTA has conducted more than 240 exams and over 5 crore students have appeared in them. “There is no evidence of the paper leak in the last seven years,” he said, adding that the Centre’s is “hiding nothing”.

When Congress MP B Manickam Tagore questioned if the minister will consider resigning amid the massive row, Mr Pradhan replied, “I am at the mercy of my leader, whenever accountability comes, the government is collectively answerable to that.”

Among the BJP’s tallest leaders from Odisha, Dharmendra Pradhan is among the party leaders who have been ministers in all three Narendra Modi governments. He has been drawing fire for the past couple of months over alleged irregularities in the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to undergraduate medical courses and the cancellation of multiple exams that followed.