Minority Girls Education
By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The central government did not implement a single recommendation of the “Report and Recommendations on Minority Girls’ Education” for improving educational standards and enhancing educational opportunities of minority girls. This was revealed by the chairman of National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui at a conference here. Addressing the conference on “Role of NCMEI in Strengthening the Minority Educational Institutions in India” on May 9, Justice Siddiqui said the NCMEI’s Committee on Girls Education has submitted a comprehensive report on minority girls education to the HRD ministry in December 2012 and the minister appreciated the report saying he will implement the recommendations made by the Committee but not a single recommendation was realized.
The Committee on Girls Education was constituted in 2007 to formulate and submit recommendations on ways and means to ameliorate the grave situation of girls of minority communities, in general, and that of Muslim girls in particular.
Continuing his speech, Siddiqui also lambasted Muslims of Uttar Pradesh for ruining minority educational institutions in the state for their petty gains. Stressing the need for developing leadership in the educational field, he said minority educational institutions in UP are in pathetic state as squabble for controlling the institutions has reached its nadir. Consequently, many institutions were taken over by the local administration. He urged the Aligarh Muslim University to intervene into the matter since it has also been assigned the task of cultural and educational advancement of Indian Muslims. Stressing the importance of technical and skill development, he said the Muslim community is skill-full community compared to other communities but there is a need to channelize these talents and minority educational institutions can play a vital role in this regard.
He further said that the NCMEI has solved many educational problems faced by the minority educational institutions in India such as, issuance of NOC for starting Medical, Engineering, Nursing and other Colleges and NOC for CBSE affiliation; recognition to many educational institutions, grievances pertaining to recognition, affiliation, appointment of teachers, reservation policy, medium of instructions since its inception. Stressing that education is the only way to change the community, he said the honorary coordinators appointed by the Commission at District, State, Zonal and National level have rendered marvellous service in addressing the educational problems faced by the minorities and in creating awareness about the powers and functions of NCMEI and the opportunities available to the minorities under the Constitution of India. He pointed that that West Bengal is one of the most backward States in India and the educational profile of Muslim community is the worst as compared to other States.
Speaking on the occasion, President of M.C.E. Society, Pune P.A. Inamdar said generating awareness among the community in availing benefits under NCMEI and Constitution of India is prime need of hour. He also appreciated the bold decisions taken by the commission in major issues like NOC to Medical and Engineering colleges, CBSE and recognitions etc.
During the programme Justice Siddiqui released the book on Role of NCMEI in Strengthening the Minority Educational Profile in India prepared by Dr. Shabistan Gaffar, President, All India Confederation for Women’s Empowerment Through Education. Dr. Shabistan made a short introduction about the substance of the book. Following are the salient features of the book:-
Landmark Judgments Relating to Minority Educational Institutions
Issues of Minority Educational Institutions solved by the NCMEI
Major Highlights of the Commission
Orientation Programme to Minority Managed Elementary /Secondary / Higher Secondary and Higher Educational Institutions
Empowerment of Minority Educational Institutions through National Institute of Open Schooling
Educational rehabilitation of strife affected students of Assam through NCMEI
Recommendation of Chairman, NCMEI on Educational Opportunities for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir
Recommendation of Chairman, NCMEI on Rehabilitation of victims of violence affected people in Muzaffarnagar
Honorary Coordinators of NCMEI
On the occasion, ‘Indian Institute of Women Studies’ was also formally launched. Dr. Anita Nuna, Faculty and Programme Coordinator, Department of Women’s Studies, NCERT, said in his address that the government must ensure implementation of any scheme when it launches. She cited the example of ‘Area Intensive Scheme” for promoting education among minorities which was launched in 1993 but not a single school was opened in minority areas under the scheme. The scheme was then merged in SPQEM but it is not solution for minority educational backwardness, adding that the expected measure of success has not occurred due to bureaucratic delays, political compulsions, social and cultural constraints.
The conference, organized by the All India Confederation for Women’s Empowerment Through Education (AICWETE) in collaboration with NCMEI, was attended by education activists from across the country
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