Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on July 06 described as an “inexcusable insult to the wisdom of Parliament” certain critical remarks purportedly made by senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on the new criminal laws.
Speaking at the 12th convocation of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) here, Mr. Dhankhar said, “This honourable gentleman, a distinguished Member of Parliament with great background as Finance Minister, and what he says I quote, ‘New laws were drafted by part-timers.’ Are we part-timers in Parliament? Inexcusable insult to the wisdom of Parliament.”
Mr. Dhankhar was apparently referring to remarks made by Mr. Chidamabaram in an interview given to an English daily, although he did not mention the Congress leader by name.
In passing the new laws, the Parliament has unshackled the nation from colonial legacy, Mr. Dhankhar said. He added that every MP had the opportunity to contribute on the floor of the House. But “the gentleman did not use his lung power, he gave total rest to his vocal chords while debate was going on.”
Mr. Dhankhar said that the “derogatory, defamatory, highly insulting observations to Members of Parliament” should be withdrawn.
Observing that the space industry is “undergoing a thrilling metamorphosis,” the Vice-President said that the success of ISRO’s missions has contributed to India’s diplomatic soft power and enhanced the quality of life for millions.
India a key player
The coming decades will witness an unprecedented surge in space and space exploration. India with its robust space programme, and a growing pool of skilled professionals, is well positioned to be a key player in this exciting journey, he said.
Mr. Dhankhar also suggested the creation of a ‘confederation of alumni associations’ of prestigious institutions such as the IIST, Indian Institutes of Technology, Indian Institutes of Management and the Jawaharlal Nehru University, pointing out that alumni associations of every institution constitute a think tank. which can do wonders for policy-making.
S. Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), underscored the need for IIST to connect with industry and the space ecosystem that is emerging in the country. Mr. Somanath said that IISTians now account for close to 15% of the ISRO staff strength.
In all, 290 students received their degrees at the 12th convocation. The list includes 120 BTech degrees, 22 Dual Degrees, 119 MTech/Master of Science degrees and 29 PhDs.
IIST Chancellor B. N. Suresh, IIST and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director S. Unnikrishnan Nair, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre director V. Narayanan, and IIST Registrar and Dean (Academics) Kuruvilla Joseph spoke.
On Saturday morning, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan received Mr. Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar on their arrival in Thiruvananthapuram on a two-day visit to the State.
Published - July 06, 2024 06:07 pm IST
