Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Narendra Modi government over the functioning of the country’s education system, alleging that the Centre’s academic and institutional ecosystem had become “incompetent, politicised, and corrupt” under its watch.
In a post on social media platform X, Ramesh said the government’s education administration had been plagued by repeated controversies and institutional failures over the past few years. He accused the ruling dispensation of undermining academic standards and constitutional norms while failing to address critical issues affecting students and higher educational institutions.
“The Modi Government’s education ecosystem, populated by third-rate academic mediocrities has proven itself to be supremely incompetent, politicised, and corrupt over the last few years,” the Congress leader said.
Listing a series of controversies, Ramesh referred to the NCERT textbook revision row, the University Grants Commission’s draft regulations on the appointment of Vice Chancellors, repeated examination paper leaks, the alleged NAAC bribery scandal, and what he termed the “ICHR scam.” He also criticised the withholding of Samagra Shiksha funds and flagged vacancies in teaching positions and the appointment of “absentee Vice Chancellors” in several Central universities.
The Congress leader also targeted union Education Minister over his reported remarks regarding the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education’s recommendations on the National Testing Agency (NTA).
According to Ramesh, the minister had dismissed the committee’s observations because it included opposition members. Calling the remarks “arrogant,” he argued that the panel itself had a BJP majority and reflected bipartisan parliamentary traditions.
“The fact is that of the 30 Members of Parliament, 17 are from the BJP itself,” Ramesh said. “The Minister’s refusal to acknowledge the Parliamentary Standing Committee is a dismissal of his own party’s MPs and the Indian Parliament’s bipartisan traditions.”
The Congress has repeatedly criticised the functioning of the NTA following allegations of irregularities and paper leaks in major competitive examinations, including NEET-UG, which triggered nationwide protests and demands for accountability. Opposition parties have accused the government of failing to safeguard the integrity of public examinations, while the Centre has maintained that corrective measures are being implemented to strengthen the system.
In his remarks, Ramesh also took a swipe at Prime Minister ’s annual “Pariksha Pe Charcha” outreach programme with students, saying the country instead needed a comprehensive review of the examination system.
“The PM takes great pride and gives great publicity to his annual Pariksha pe Charcha extravaganza. What is the need of the hour is a Pariksha ki Samiksha,” he said, adding that the Education Minister “doesn’t appear to be cut out for the task.”
