Jairam Ramesh moves privilege notice against Union Education Minister

Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh on Monday (May 18, 2026) moved a privilege notice against Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan for his “derogatory” remarks that Mr. Ramesh allegedly lowered the dignity of Parliament.

Congress leader Ramesh said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had “deliberately lowered the stature and prestige of the institution of the standing committee simply because of its bipartisan nature”.

In his notice, Mr. Ramesh cited the Union Minister’s remarks made at a press conference on May 15 where he reportedly, while responding to a question on why the government did not implement the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education on the National Testing Agency (NTA), said, “I will not comment on Parliamentary Standing Committee red flags. I will speak about the High-Level Committee of Experts (HLCE)/Radhakrishnan Committee. The Parliament Standing Committee has members from the Opposition. They write things in a certain manner; you also know that. Hence, I won’t speak on the standing committee.”

What is Privilege Motion :

A Privilege Motion is moved when a member believes that a breach of parliamentary privilege has occurred by a minister or any other member, thereby affecting the authority, dignity, or functioning of the House. It is based on Articles 105 and 194 of the Constitution, which deal with parliamentary privileges. The main objective of Privilege Motion is to protect freedom of speech in Parliament and maintain the authority and dignity of the House and rights of its members and committees.

A Privilege motion is moved:

If a minister gives misleading information.

If incorrect or false facts are deliberately presented.

If any act obstructs the functioning of the House.

The Speaker (in Lok Sabha) or Chairman (in Rajya Sabha) decides its admissibility.

Example: If a minister provides incorrect data in Parliament and it is later proven that the information was knowingly false, a member may move a Privilege Motion against that minister in the Lok Sabha.