Editorial - (2021) Volume 9, Issue 5
Education to minorities
Wu Ling*
Description
The Government has been enforcing several minority schooling schemes mainly for Muslims. A general of 15% of the outlay in the sarva shiksha abhiyan is centered for the Minority Concentration Districts (MCD)/Areas to acquire the goal of universalization of elementary schooling, to fulfill infrastructure gaps for schools, classrooms, instructors and imparting access by beginning new schools.
Other projects which additionally benefit minorities and Muslims include the Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasa’s (SPQEM), the Scheme of Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutions (IDMI), the Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalaya Scheme (JNV), setting up of Girls Hostels, Model Schools under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), the Mid-Day-Meal Scheme, Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS), establishment of the Model Degree Colleges, Women Hostels and Polytechnics in the Minority Concentration Districts.
Setting up of Block Institutes of Teacher Education, Appointment of Language Teachers, imparting modern education to Madrasa’s under National Institute of Open Schooling and the easing of norms for affiliation of Minority Educational Institutions, are some of the essential projects undertaken by the Government.
The achievements made under the affirmative interventions under several schemes for promotion of education of the minorities had been pretty encouraging. Trends imply steady increase in the enrolment of Muslim children at the elementary level. The enrolment of Muslim children at Primary level as a percentage of general enrolment has expanded from 9.4% in 2006-07 to 14.2% in 2012-13, and at the Upper Primary level, the enrolment has expanded from 7.2% to 12.1% during the same period. This has influenced the Govt. to further intensify its regular efforts for the promotion of education of the minorities, mainly of Muslims.
The right to education is defined by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights as ‘both a human right in itself and a fundamental way of knowing other human rights.’ It is a basic right assured by a variety of international instruments, as set out further below. The right to education should be accorded without distinction and should be accessible for all.
Importance
“Education is the single most essential instrument for social and financial transformation. A properly knowledgeable population, competently prepared with knowledge and ability is not only important to aid economic growth, but is also a precondition for growth to be inclusive as it is the knowledgeable and professional person who can stand to advantage many from the employment possibilities which growth will provide.
The Ministry of Human Resource Development has targeted on an inclusive agenda, with an imaginative and prescient of knowing India's human useful resource ability to its fullest, with fairness and excellence.
"All minorities…shall have the proper to set up and administer schooling establishments of their own” is the mandate. Government is devoted to deal with the prevailing backwardness in schooling of minorities, mainly the Muslims, constituting the foremost bite of the minorities.
Therefore, the Prime Minister's New 15 Point programmer, inter-alia, objectives to beautify possibilities for schooling of minorities making sure an equitable percentage in monetary sports and employment. The University Grants Commission is enforcing the subsequent schemes for minority groups in Central Universities all through Plan Centre for Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers in 3 imperative universities.
Establishment of Residential Coaching Academy for Minorities, SC/ST and Women in 4 Central Universities and one in Deemed University. Establishment of Satellite Campus for undergraduate, Postgraduate, Programs in Arabic and Persian. Establishment of Campuses of Aligarh Muslim University. Establishment of Model School, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), B.Ed. Colleges, Polytechnics below the ambit of Maulana Azad National Urdu University.
Since 2009, the UGC has been enforcing the scheme of Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students that is being funded with the aid of using Ministry of Minority Affairs, Govt. of India. Additionally been constituted to deal with problems referring to academic empowerment of minorities.
The goal of the committees
To display the minority associated schemes/applications being applied with the aid of using the Ministry of Human Resource Development; To advocate modifications, if required, within side the schemes of the Ministry of Human Resource Development so as to cater to the precise wishes and necessities of the minority network; To observe record of preceding Committees that have long gone into the problems of minority schooling and welfare and advocate approaches and way to put into effect the recommendations/conclusions of these Committees; To propose the Committee on putting in place a tracking mechanism for minority associated schemes/applications being run with the aid of using the Ministry of HRD and Any different problems referring to minority schooling which the Committee might also additionally need to deliver to the awareness of the Government and NMCME.