As the JPK decided to postpone the report on the Vishit Bharat Shiksha Adhistan (VBSA) bill, Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose stated that the opposition forced the government to suspend this controversial legislation, which she said would harm the education sector.
Ghose emphasized that the delay in passing the bill is a significant victory for the opposition. She noted that the Trinamool Congress opposed the VBSA bill, calling it anti-student and aimed against federalism.
TMC sources reported that the bill goes beyond constitutional norms because it effectively makes higher education a privilege of wealthy segments of the population. According to them, it undermines federalism, forms a large centralized structure, and establishes rule from New Delhi. Furthermore, TMC believes the bill destroys academic freedom and represents a narrow interpretation of Bharatiya knowledge systems based only on one religion.
A senior TMC leader stated the government's intention to abolish the UGC. Without this body, universities, he said, will be forced to take loans, and the subsequent repayment of these loans will lead to increased tuition fees. This leader questioned how poor students will be able to afford education.
The bill faced strong opposition from the Congress, DMK, and Shiv Sena, while reports indicate that the ruling party ally, TDP, also expressed doubts about the document.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) reaffirmed its support for the 33 percent quota for women in Lok Sabha on Sunday, but called on the Centre to provide more clarification regarding the proposed delimitation process and implement the quota based on the current composition of the House.
The issue was raised by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva during an all-party meeting organized by the Centre ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament starting on Monday. Speaking to journalists after the gathering, Siva stated that the party supports the Women's Reservation Bill but is concerned about its linkage to delimitation.
The senior DMK leader also warned that the delimitation process should not put southern states at a disadvantage, which have shown a slower population growth rate over many years. He emphasized that if delimitation affects southern states, it should be postponed for 25 years.
The Women's Reservation Bill, officially known as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, was passed by Parliament in September 2023. It provides for a 33 percent quota for women in the Lok Sabha, state legislative assemblies, and the Delhi Legislative Assembly. However, its implementation is tied to the first delimitation exercise following the next census.
The Centre attempted to expedite this process by introducing a Constitutional Amendment Bill (131st Amendment) in April this year to enable the implementation of reservation before the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. However, the constitutional amendment failed to secure the necessary two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha during the Budget Session, receiving 298 votes in favor and 230 against.
Meanwhile, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), affiliated with CPI(M), has also intensified pressure for the immediate implementation of the legislation without waiting for a census or delimitation process. Pharma Chauhan, State Secretary of AIDWA Himachal Pradesh, told ANI that the organization urged the Congress and other opposition parties to support the implementation of the law in its original form during the Monsoon Session.
She argued that despite the law being passed by Parliament almost three years ago, women have still not received constitutional guarantees. Chauhan noted that currently, about 70 women represent nearly half of the country's population in Parliament, and with the implementation of the 33 percent reservation, around 183 women could be elected to the 543-member Lok Sabha.
In response to these demands, Vinay Kumar, President of the Congress Committee Himachal Pradesh, stated that the party would convey this request to its national leadership. He assured that the Congress has always supported women and will continue to do so, and he would pass the demand of the delegation to the higher command to ensure the implementation of the previously passed legislation in its original form.
The issue also received support from Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Chirag Paswan, who rejected allegations that the government is using delimitation to delay women's reservation. Paswan told ANI: 'I fully support this law, and my party does too. Some say that women's reservation is being conducted under the guise of delimitation. I disagree. It is not being done under any pretext.'
