Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi, on August 19, 2025. Photo: Sansad TV via PTI
The Union government’s funds should not be allowed to be used for propaganda against Constitutional establishments, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, referring to a controversy over data analysis by the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS). He said the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), which funds the CSDS, will seek explanation from the research institute.Follow the Parliament Monsoon session Day 20 LIVE: August 20, 2025The move comes after Sanjay Kumar, a professor with the CSDS, shared voter data from two Maharashtra Assembly seats related to last year’s State election in a post on X on Sunday (August 17, 2025), but subsequently deleted his post on Tuesday (August 19, 2025), apologising for posting erroneous data.Mr. Pradhan, while piloting the Indian Institute of Management (Amendment) Bill in Rajya Sabha, said the Opposition was spreading lies on the Maharashtra election data. The House was disrupted over a post by an individual with mala fide intention, he said, without naming Prof. Kumar.Also Read | Parliament passes bill to set up IIM in Guwahati“Opposition is doing harmful work as they are not letting Parliament function. Parliament functions with the help of taxpayers’ money. The Opposition wants to discuss one ‘fact’ posted by one person in the CSDS related to Maharashtra election with mala fide intention,” Mr. Pradhan said.“Taking funds from the Government of India, it is not proper to challenge democracy and institutions of democracy,” Mr. Pradhan said, adding that the ICSSR will take appropriate action.Show cause notice issuedThe ICSSR has issued a show cause notice to the CSDS.The ICSSR said in a statement that “an individual holding a responsible position at CSDS, an ICSSR-funded research institute, has made media statements that had to be retracted subsequently, citing glitches in data analysis regarding elections in Maharashtra. Further, the institute has published media stories based on a biased interpretation of the SIR exercise by the Election Commission of India. ICSSR holds the Indian Constitution in the highest esteem. Election Commission of India is a high constitutional body which has been holding free and fair elections in the largest democracy of the world for decades together.”The statement, posted on X, added, “ICSSR takes serious cognisance of the data manipulation by CSDS and its attempt to create a narrative with the intention of undermining the sanctity of the Election Commission of India. This is a gross violation of the Grant-in-Aid rules of ICSSR.” Published - August 20, 2025 05:56 pm IST
