Reservation For SC Muslims Demanded

New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) Reservation for Scheduled Caste Muslims, strengthening Anganwadis and setting up Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas for Muslim children has been suggested by a high level expert group, it was announced today.

Minister of State for Human Resource Development M A A Fatmi also called for setting up Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan schools in minority neighbourhoods and teaching kids in their mother tongue.

The Minister also stressed giving scholarships to Muslim students undergoing higher, technical and medical education.

He advocated reservation for Scheduled Caste Muslims not covered by the Muslim Reservation category under Article 341.

Fatmi afterwards explained that although SC Muslims had existed before 1950, but thereafter such a categorisation was confined to Hindus, and much later extended to Sikhs and Buddhists. It has yet to be extended to Muslims and Christians.

Fatmi told journalists those were some of the suggestions to emerge in his discussions with Muslim Members of Parliament and Non-Governmental Organisations in light of the Sachar Committee findings.

Fatmi said one conclusion of the discussions was that Muslim population be educated either by NGOs or government-run schools.

He said the participants wanted Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas and Kendriya and Navodaya Vidyalayas to be opened to check the dropout trend of Muslim schoolgirls.

Fatmi said the participants held that such a purpose will also be aided by imparting instruction in the students' mother tongue.

He said efforts will be made to include the Sachar Committee recommendations in the eleventh five year plan.

The Report on the demands made by Muslim MPs and NGOs will be presented to the government by January 10.

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