Clueless Oppn is taking up non-issues like EVMs: Prakash Javadekar

Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar is considered to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has campaigned for the party in various state elections and was the main face of the BJP in the recently held Manipur elections. In an interview to DNA’s Kritika Sharma, the minister talks about the NDA government completing three years, the BJP’s expansion plans, and how he is trying to change the face of education in the country. Excerpts:

What do you have to say about the work and achievements of the NDA government in the last three years? 

After a gap of 30 years, we have a stable government and an able leader with vision. Some of the major achievements of our government are demonitisation, the GST Bill and effective implementation of Aadhaar. Zero tolerance towards corruption and other effective measures against black money are also noteworthy achievements. The Benami Property Act, and renegotiating treaties with Singapore, Cyprus and Mauritius are important steps against black money. The black money that used to go from India used to be routed back through these countries. That has stopped now.

What do you think about the role of the opposition in the current political scenario?

We are acting on so many fronts simultaneously that the opposition is clueless, they are taking up non-issues like EVMs. This is the same EVM that made all those who are opposing it win elections. Proactive governance and bankruptcy on the part of the opposition is the current political scenario.

It is often said about this government that it is just carrying forward the schemes that were announced during the UPA’s tenure...

Governance is a continuous process. If some good things are speeded up and taken up on a fast-track basis, that is a good thing. If we are taking good things forward, the opposition should not oppose it, but they are. 

Talking about grassroot changes, what are the kind of changes that have come on the education front? 

More than 2,200 CBSE schools have taken NCERT books. This is because I was getting complaints that private publisher books are expensive. We brought back board examinations, gave states the right to detain students in Class 5 and 8. 

The government calls itself pro-minority, what is it doing about the National Commission for Education of Minorities which has been lying defunct?

It is not completely defunct, it has been functioning but I will take a review of the commission and take a decision about it. 

Government proposed the idea of a common entrance examination like NEET for engineering, what is happening on that front? 

Once I see the result of NEET, and the whole process of admission through NEET is done on basis of merit, only then we will decide if we will go ahead with the idea of having a common engineering test. It will only be decided in July.