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Tag: Dharmendra Pradhan

  • Assam to be made laboratory for mother tongue-based education: Dharmendra Pradhan

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the country’s northeast, where people speak in at least 180 different languages, epitomise diversity, and Assam, being the gateway to the region, will me made a “laboratory” for mother tongue-based education.

    Heaping praise on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Pradhan said it has amplified the importance of imparting lessons in native language, especially at the primary level.

    “The NEP is a unifying factor in stimulating Indian knowledge systems, regional languages, art and culture. It is focused on developing desired learning competencies right from the pre-primary level, equipping students with 21st century knowledge and skills and preparing our youth to become global citizens,” the minister said after inaugurating a two-day North-East Education Conclave here.

    Pradhan further said that the Centre is striving to ensure parity in educational opportunities across the country, and to that end, a roadmap for creating ‘Special Education Zones’ is being prepared.

    “Diversity of languages cannot be witnessed anywhere better than in the country’s northeast, where around 180 languages are spoken by the tribes.

    Assam is going to be a laboratory for mother tongue-based education in India,” the minister stated.

    He also maintained that Guwahati, the largest city of Assam, has the potential of becoming an education hub of northeast as well as the whole country.

    Pradhan lauded the Assam government for allocating six per cent of GDP for education.

    He expressed confidence that the conclave will deliberate on the key aspects of NEP and design strategies for its successful implementation in the region.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, speaking on the occasion, underlined that NEP 2020 has given the opportunity to go beyond mark-sheets and strive for knowledge which will make India more powerful, take the country to greater heights, empower students and offer them opportunities to grow.

    He said the two-day deliberations at the conclave would help finalise a roadmap for proper implementation of NEP in the region within a time frame.

    Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu, UGC chairman Prof DP Singh, education ministers of the other northeast states, heads of different educational institutions and academicians were among those present at the inaugural session of the conclave.

    The two-day programme has been organised by the department of education, in association with Shankardev Education and Research Foundation (SERF), Guwahati, a voluntary group working in the field of education with focus on policy implementation.

  • Congress a party on pension, Akhilesh a yuvraj busy working for family: Dharmendra Pradhan

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday called the Congress a ‘family party on pension’ and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav ‘a yuvraj busy strengthening his family’.

    Pradhan, also the in-charge of BJP’s party affairs in Uttar Pradesh, took the dig while addressing a gathering of Kurmi community members under a Prtinidhi Sammelan (Representatives’ Rally) organised by the BJP Backward Front.

    “I was watching the news yesterday. The ‘yuvraj’ of a family was saying: We are uniting the backwards. I want to ask them if you are uniting backwards or strengthening the family,” Pradhan said in an evident jibe at SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav, a day after he announced his party’s pre-poll alliance with Suhaldev Bhartiya Samaj Party in Mau.

    Taking a potshot at the Congress, he added, “The family party in Delhi is not able to decide who will lead them, see the condition of that party. The Congress party says: We will implement a pension scheme once we come to power.’ I say you yourself are on the pension now.”

    Elaborating upon the importance given to various Kurmi community leaders during the BJP regime, Pradhan hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for making some of them the ministers and governors.

    Elaborating upon the contribution of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the nation-building, Pradhan also pointed out PM Modi’s work in bringing their contribution to the forefront.

    Union Education Minister Pradhan also recalled how it was the BJP government which gave constitutional status to the OBC Commission.

    “During previous governments, SC-ST Commission was formed but not the OBC commission. Prime Minister Narendra Modi did the work of giving constitutional recognition to the OBC Commission. Earlier this benefit was only for the SCs and STs,” Pradhan said.

    PM Modi also gave the benefit of reservation to the OBCs in admissions to medical colleges and 27 per cent reservation to the OBC even in allotment of petrol pumps, he said.

    “I want to stress that these welfare schemes are being identified with the BJP government,” Pradhan added.

    Accusing the previous government of having a dismal law and order situation in the state during their tenures, Pradhan said, “If crime increases, the loss is not of the rich but the poor. What was the level of crime during the previous governments, you all know it.” 

    Many other prominent leaders including BJP state president Swatantra Dev Singh too addressed the rally.

  • Devendra Singh Rana’s joining gives traction to saffron party in Jammu

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The BJP on Monday inducted former National Conference leader Devendra Singh Rana with an eye to gain strength in Jammu and Kashmir amid the likelihood of the re-start of the legislative process in the Union Territory in the coming months. 

    Rana joined the BJP in the presence of Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Hardeep Singh Puri and Jeetendra Singh apart from senior leaders, including general secretaries Arun Singh and Tarun Chugh. Rana said he would ensure that those carrying out the separatist agenda will never succeed in J&K.

    Former National Conference leader Surjeet Singh Salathia also joined the BJP along with Rana. Salathia had been a minister in the government in the erstwhile J&K state when the National Conference was in power.

    Pradhan said that the BJP will be stronger with Rana in the party fold. “The decision of Rana and Salathia to join the BJP demonstrates the growing popularity of the BJP in J&K. The developmental works have gained pace in the union territory after the abrogation of Article 370,” he told reporters.

    BJP’s J&K unit chief Ravindra Raina told reporters that the people of the Union Territory have distanced from the separatist politics and embraced the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  Meanwhile, the National Conference has got yet another jolt as over three dozen party activists, including a provincial secretary, two district presidents and two Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) corporators, resigned on Monday.

  • BJP plans centralised poll management in UP; ministers to take charge

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  The BJP is bracing for a centralised management of the upcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, with scores of ministers being roped in to take charges of the districts for sharp micro-management amid the assessment that the party will be up against another Opposition grand alliance.

    In addition to the panel headed by the Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan who is the election in-charge, the BJP is gearing up to field its full battery of ministers to take poll responsibilities in UP, which is slated to go to polls in February-March next year. The ministers who have already been roped in for poll tasks in UP have begun travelling to parts of the states to identify the issues on which the BJP will need to build poll narrative along with its counter strategy against the agenda being brought forth by the Opposition parties, said a leader.

    Mindful that the outcome of the UP elections will set the course of the national politics, which will also be watched out by some political parties to forge prospective alliances in future, the BJP will seek to build a suitable narrative in UP to overwhelm the identity politics, said another leader. 

    To shore up its electoral chances, the BJP is also bracing up to bring in political workers, known for their election management credentials, from other states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra, to man each polling booth in the 403 assembly constituencies. “Such political workers will directly report to the central team in Delhi to share realtime feedback on which expeditious actions will be initiated,” added the party leader.       

    After the festive season, the BJP leaders, including ministers, will regularly camp in various parts of UP. The Union ministers belonging to UP, along with Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha MPs, will be taking charge of each district.

    A few of the ministers who have returned after initial visits to parts of the state have listed out some of the issues, which the BJP will need to address. These include issues like unemployment in Poorvanchal, farmers not able to fetch the Minimum Support Prices, and early signs of loosening of consolidation of the non-Yadav other backward castes in favour of the party.

    Nadda to visit Manipur for review of poll prepNew Delhi: BJP chief J P Nadda will start his visits to poll-bound states from Manipur where he will take stock of the preparations for the assembly elections next year this weekend. He will be on a two- day visit to Manipur starting Saturday. During his visit, Nadda will take part in sone key programmes and will guide the BJP state unit leaders and workers on various issues, said Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni. The BJP chief will visit a booth president’s residence at Utlou (Nambol mandal) and have lunch at his residence, said Baluni.

  • Dharmendra Pradhan writes to Andhra, Jharkhand CMs on preservation of Odia-based education

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday wrote letters to chief ministers of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh seeking personal intervention for promoting and preserving Odia-based education in the states.

    In his letter to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Pradhan said, “I am writing this letter to seek your personal intervention for implementation of the values enshrined in the New Education Policy 2020, and preserving the best interests of Odia speaking school children in Jharkhand.”

    “I would like to underscore the shared history of Odisha and Jharkhand which goes back to ages and binds the two states together till this day. Saraikela and Kharsawan districts in Jharkhand were once Odia speaking princely states and among two of 26 Garhjats which made up the state of Odisha,” he added.

    The union minister further stated, “During state reorganisation exercise in 1948, these two princely states were clubbed with the erstwhile Bihar State which has become present-day Jharkhand. It is estimated that around 20 lakh Odia speaking people live in Jharkhand today concentrated around Kolhan Division of Jharkhand consisting of Saraikela-Kharsawan, EastSinghbhum and West Singhbhum Districts apart from smaller populations in Ranchi, Gumla, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Simdega, Lahardega and Latehar districts.”

    In another letter written to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Pradhan sought personal intervention for harmonious resolution of issues pertaining to the Odia language-based education in border villages of the state.

    “Odisha and Andhra Pradesh share common cultures and multiple interests relating to the promotion of native languages of the respective states in the border villages,” he stated.

    The Education Minister further said that following the demarcation of the border between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, some of the schools in the border areas of Odisha as well as Andhra Pradesh have merged with the school systems in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, respectively.

    “As a result, many Odia and Telugu speaking children in schools in the two states have become minority groups whose native languages need to be supported,” he stated.

    “To resolve this situation, both the state governments had entered into an agreement to cater to the needs of the students who wish to learn their respective languages (Telugu in Odisha and Odia in Andhra Pradesh) in schools,” he added. (ANI)

  • BJP, Nishad Party to fight 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections together

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: The BJP and the Nishad Party will contest the upcoming assembly polls together in Uttar Pradesh and will work towards forming the next government in the state, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Friday.

    Pradhan, who is BJP’s in-charge of Uttar Pradesh polls, made a formal announcement of the alliance at a press conference here in the presence of Nishad Party, or Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal, chief Sanjay Nishad.

    “We will have an alliance with the Nishad Party. We (BJP-Nishad Party) will fight the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections together with strength, and today the leaders of both the parties are making a formal announcement about it,” Pradhan said.

    “Not just the Nishad Party, we also have an alliance with the Apna Dal and we will work together to form the government in the state,” he added.

    Replying to a question, Pradhan said the upcoming state elections will be fought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    Recently Sanjay Nishad was in the news for his demand that the BJP should project him as a deputy chief minister face in the elections.

    He claimed that Nishads (fishermen) constitute about 18 percent of total votes and play a deciding role on 160 assembly seats.

    Nishad, who had been putting conditions for an alliance with the BJP, however, did not answer questions of media persons during the press conference on Friday.

    Asked about conditions of the alliance, Pradhan said that talks have been held on all issues and it will be made public at an “appropriate time”.

    The Nishad Party had contested the 2017 assembly elections in alliance with the Peace Party led by Dr Ayub and contested 72 seats.

    Its candidate Vijay Mishra had won from Gyanpur in Bhadohi district.

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party entered into an alliance with the BJP and Sanjay Nishad’s son Praveen Nishad was nominated from Sant Kabir Nagar wherefrom he won the elections.

    Recently, a news channel had done a sting operation on Sanjay Nishad wherein he purportedly claimed that he sells party tickets in the elections.

    However, he had termed the episode as a conspiracy against him.

    When Pradhan was asked about the sting operation, he remarked, “Even after that we have met (aligned).”

    About Modi and Adityanath, he said people in the state have unwavering faith in them.

    Faith is most important in a democracy, he added.

    “The prime minister has given a call for sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas,” Pradhan said.

    When asked as to why the BJP, which claims to be the world’s largest party, was nurturing caste satraps, he said in the 2022 elections, the saffron party will be able to connect deeply with people from other societies as well.

    The BJP has brought many political powers together and has started the process of taking it forward, he said.

    Pradhan claimed that the BJP has really benefited from farmers and is committed to doubling their income.

  • BJP will form ‘double-engine’ government in Uttarakhand in 2022 Assembly polls: Dharmendra Pradhan

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the 2022 Uttarakhand Assembly polls, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP will form a ‘double-engine’ government in the state in the upcoming elections under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Addressing a press conference where Uttarakhand Congress MLA from Purola Rajkumar joined the BJP at the party headquarters here today, Pradhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a special attachment with the ‘Dev Bhumi’. In the upcoming elections, we will form a double-engine government in Uttarakhand under the leadership of PM Modi.”

    ALSO READ| Uttarakhand: Congress MLA from Purola Rajkumar joins BJP

    He further said, “I have been associated with the party’s political activities in Uttarakhand for a very long time. From Dehradun to the villages situated in the hills, Rajkumar ji who joined the BJP from the Congress today is known for his sensitivity, belligerence and leadership qualities.”

    Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state BJP president Madan Kaushik were also present at the press conference held today. Speaking on the occasion, Dhami said, “People are impressed with the work done by PM Modi, hence joining our party. These joinings will further strengthen our party.”

    Congress MLA Rajkumar after joining the BJP said, “I am impressed by the work done by PM Modi. He took the country to the global level. His work including road construction, the welfare of SC/ST in Uttarakhand, and the way he managed the COVID-19 pandemic in the country is admirable. BJP works for the people.”

    “BJP is working towards the upliftment of the lower caste and making them independent, while Congress has made these people dependent on subsidies since Independence. I’ve joined the party today after seeing BJP’s great work in Uttarakhand,” he added.

    Struggling to keep its flock together, Uttarakhand Congress received a jolt with one of its sitting MLA’s, Rajkumar from Purola Assembly constituency joined BJP today in New Delhi.

    Rajkumar was earlier a BJP MLA and had occupied the post of secretary in the party’s state unit.The significance of the joining can be gauged from fact that Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and state unit chief Madan Kaushik both were present to welcome the Congress legislator in the party’s fold.

    Polls for the 70 member Uttarakhand Assembly are likely to take place in early 2022.

  • Dharmendra Pradhan, Pralhad Joshi among BJP heavyweights in charge of poll-bound states

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday set poll preparations in motion by making senior ministers in-charge of states headed for Assembly elections next year. Dharmendra Pradhan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Pralhad Joshi, Bhupender Yadav have been entrusted with the task of overseeing preparations in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Manipur, respectively. Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will be in charge of Goa.

    Gajendra Singh ShekhawatPradhan, who had looked after the party affairs of Bihar before becoming a minister, will be assisted by Union minister Anurag Thakur in UP, for which the saffron outfit has appointed key leaders in different regions. The BJP has lined up eight senior leaders for the state. They include Union ministers of state Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shobha Karandjale.  Senior BJP functionaries like Saroj Pandey, Captain Abhimanyu, Annapurna Devi and Vivek Thakur are other co-incharges for UP. 

    The BJP has also created six zones for UP (Kashi, Braja, western UP, Avadh, Kanpur and Gorakhpur) which will be looked after by other senior functionaries.   Shekhawat will be election in-charge for Punjab. He will be assisted by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi. Senior leader Vinod Chawra is another member of the team. Joshi has been appointed election in-charge for Uttarakhand. He will be assisted by West Bengal MP Locket Chaterjee and party leader RP Singh.   

    Union environment minister Yadav will be the election in-charge for Manipur. Barring Punjab, the BJP is in power in all four states, which are slated for the Assembly elections in February-March next year.By announcing star-studded teams for each of these states, the saffron brigade has shown that it is leaving no stone unturned in order to get ready.

  • Rahul Gandhi ‘pseudo expert’ with misplaced sense of entitlement: Education Minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday hit back at Rahul Gandhi for demanding the postponement of medical entrance exam NEET, saying the Congress leader was a “pseudo expert” with an “overflowing vanity and a misplaced sense of entitlement”.

    Criticising Gandhi for “questioning the wisdom” of the Supreme Court and experts on the NEET schedule, Pradhan said that “yuvraj (prince)” should stick to “his expertise of concocting lies than issuing statements on matters he has no understanding of”.

    The minister’s response came after the former Congress President called for the postponement of the NEET examination as many other examinations are scheduled around September 12.

    Alleging that the government is “blind” to students’ distress, Gandhi had urged the Centre to let students “have a fair chance” in the exams.

    ​ALSO READ | Postpone NEET exam, let students have fair chance: Rahul to Modi government

    On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to defer the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-UG examination scheduled for September 12, saying it does not want to interfere with the process and it will be “very unfair” to reschedule it.

    “Rahul Gandhi perceives himself to be an expert on everything without having an iota of knowledge.

    Overflowing vanity & misplaced sense of entitlement of a failed crown prince is no alibi to meddle into the schedule of examinations, give undue stress & make the students suffer,” Pradhan tweeted.

    “Even the Hon’ble Supreme Court has not entertained the plea to reschedule the #NEET examination citing the deferment as being unfair to a large number of students.

    “What makes @RahulGandhi the ‘pseudo expert’ question the collective wisdom of the bench and actual experts?” he added.

    A section of medical aspirants has been demanding postponement of the exam citing the schedule of NEET closely clashing with several other exams.

    ​ALSO READ | TN Assembly witnesses heated debate over NEET

    The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 12 improvement and compartment exams are set to be held between August 25 to September 15.

    The next day after the medical exam is the mathematics exam on September 13.

    Other state-level entrance tests such as Maharashtra Common Entrance Test (MHT CET) 2021, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Karnataka CoMEDK, Odisha JEE are also scheduled around the same time.

    While ICAR is scheduled to be held on September 13, MHT CET 2021 will be held from September 4 to 10 and from September 14 to 20 and CoMEDK will be on September 14.

    “Yuvraj should stick to his expertise of concocting lies, peddling half-truths and being the antagonist to anything progressive, rather than issuing sweeping statements on matters he has no understanding of,” Pradhan further said.

  • BJP makes Dharmendra Pradhan in charge of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Ahead of the scheduled Uttar Pradesh state assembly elections next year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday appointed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as the election in-charge for the state.

    Union Ministers Anurag Singh Thakur, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Shobha Karandlaje, and Annpurna Devi, MPs Saroj Pandey and Vivek Thakur have been appointed as the election co-in charge of the UP polls.

    Further, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi has been appointed in charge of Uttarakhand for the upcoming Assembly election in 2022 and BJP MP Locket Chatterjee has been appointed as a co-in charge for the polls.

    For the assembly polls scheduled in Punjab, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been appointed as the election in-charge for the state, while Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi has been appointed as co-in charges.

    Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav has been given charge of the upcoming assembly elections in Manipur.

    Meanwhile, Union Minister Pratima Bhoumik and Assam Minister Ashok Singhal have been appointed as the co-in charges for the same.

    Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur, and Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled to take place next year. (ANI)