Only 37 Out of 245 MPs Attend Education Debate

With a very lack of interest and excitement, only 37 out of 245 MPs attended a debate on the working of the HRD Ministry in the Rajya Sabha. The debate rose many important topics but the lack of attendance showed how serious ministers are towards education.

Arguments on learning outcomes, insufficient expenditure on education and flaws in the Right to Education (RTE) Act took place.

Samajwadi Party MPs Neeraj Shekhar and Ravi Prakash Verma questioned the absence of their colleagues at a time when such an important issue was being debated. “Today when education is being discussed, the entire House is empty. Yesterday when (political) football (over AgustaWestland) was being played, the entire House was full,” Shekhar said. CPI’s D Raja endorsed the sentiment.

During the debate, MPs highlighted a numbers of problems in the education sector, from shortage of school teachers to weak learning outcomes in primary education to political interference in higher education. Members from the Congress urged the government to keep ideology out of education.

The debate, however, remained inconclusive as Irani could not respond to the issues raised. The members insisted it should be done when the House has full attendance.

Apart from the fact that members of parliament were not intereted in the debate, a major part over looked is that again important and deciding factors relating to education could not come in front of all.