Dembels are called to study – Newspaper Kommersant No. 25 (7470) dated 02/10/2023

The State Duma on Thursday adopted in the first reading a bill on accounting for military service as an individual achievement when entering universities and colleges. The opposition factions supported the United Russia initiative, agreeing that in the country “there is a need to raise a military man to the highest level of respect in society.” The deputies also discussed the issue of what achievements girls can receive additional entrance points for.

The bill was introduced in October by United Russia senators and deputies headed by Secretary of the General Council of the party, First Vice Speaker of the Federation Council Andrey Turchak. Their amendments to the law “On Education in the Russian Federation” it is proposed to attribute military service on conscription to the individual achievements of applicants: military service will give additional points when entering any university or college in all training programs. “The measure is aimed at encouraging citizens to perform military duties. Its implementation will contribute to strengthening the patriotic education of students, the formation of readiness for the defense of the Motherland, as well as increasing the prestige of military service, ”the explanatory note to the bill says.

When considering the initiative at a plenary session on February 9, deputy Vyacheslav Markhaev (KPRF) noted that conscription service in Russia is an obligation, and not an “individual achievement”, and asked the authors if they do not consider this norm an infringement on graduates of secondary educational institutions who have not reached draft age.

United Russia Alena Arshinova, who presented the bill on behalf of the sponsors, replied that she did not think that duty should not be encouraged.

Oleg Nilov of A Just Russia – For Truth stated that participation in a special military operation is “the highest achievement, for which there should be the highest benefits for young people who will return from there with a victory and want to continue their studies in universities.” Thanks to such students, he said, “we will improve the situation in the student environment,” where “the mood is not quite the same as in the State Duma.” “These guys, who served in the army and defended the country, will have to take the places that today are still occupied by the so-called waiters, officials who hope that everything will resolve itself,” the deputy believes.

Alena Arshinova, in response, recalled that there is already a legislative norm, according to which a competitive basis is not applied to combat veterans. And the non-factional deputy Oksana Dmitrieva noted that “there is a special quota there” and this norm applies to the children of military personnel.

Another communist, Aleksey Kurinny, asked the authors why contract servicemen were not taken into account in the project and whether there would be an opportunity for girls to “add points for themselves on similar grounds.” Ms. Arshinova reassured her colleague, saying that the issue of contractors was being worked out, and commented on the second part of the question as follows: “On behalf of the girls, I will tell you that we do not feel disadvantaged and, moreover, we will additionally help in every possible way so that our guys feel a good rear “.

On this topic, the Socialist-Revolutionary Nilov considered it necessary to take the floor again. He stated that “for a woman, the highest achievement is the birth of a child,” so single mothers should be given the right to enter universities on a priority basis.

Nina Ostanina (KPRF), head of the Committee on Family Affairs, noted that by accepting this project, the deputies “in fact, return the wonderful Soviet traditions, when service in the armed forces was not only a duty, but also an honorary right.” In her opinion, this category of young people should generally be privileged: “You can’t put them on a par with those who have achieved sports success, service in the armed forces is not a sport, it is service to the Fatherland.”

At the end of the discussion, the head of the education committee, Olga Kazakova (United Russia), spoke. She expressed her conviction that “we have a need to raise a military man to the highest level of respect in society” and “we need to have strong guys so that no one will ever even think about not only attacking, but threatening our country.” As a result, the adoption of the bill in the first reading was supported by 399 deputies, there were no votes against.

Afanasy Sborov