Minorities: High-level panel cites SC ruling in St Stephens case

New Delhi, May 23 (UNI) Citing the 1990 Supreme Court decision in the St Stephens College case, the high-level National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities (NCRLM) in its report submitted to the Prime Minister has recommended some earmarked space for minorities in all non-minority educational institutions.

The Supreme Court had ruled in this case that no minority institution can give more than 50 per cent seats to the minorities and must leave the remaining half of the intake for the others in the interest of national integration.

''Going by that decision of the court, there must be a similarly earmarked space for the minorities in the non-minority institutions, NCRLM Member and former NCM Chairman Dr Tahir Mahmood told UNI.

The Commission has accordingly recommended earmarking of 15 per cent seats for the minorities in all non-minority institutions, with a break of 10 per cent for the Muslims and the rest for the other minorities.

The Commission also wants a law to charge select institutions all over the country including the Aligarh Muslim University, Jamia Millia Islamia and Jamia Hamdard with a special responsibility to promote educational advancement of Muslims by taking all necessary steps. Dr Mahmood said these institutions should open more schools that should act as a feeder to their courses in advanced education.

The income of wakf properties, in Dr Mahmood's opinion, can be utilized to enhance the level of literacy and education among the Muslims. The Commission has therefore recommended 5 per cent educational cess on all wakfs in the country to be realized by the Central Wakf Council and spent on education.

The Commission has also recommended 15 per cent reservation for minorities in Government employment, with 10 per cent for Muslims out of that.

It has also made a strong case for Parliament enacting a law to make it compulsory for all madrasas to provide modern education to their students along with the religious education by running parallel schools on their premises.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the Madrasas Modernization Scheme, Dr Mahmood said that it should be used to finance part-time modern schools in the Madrasas.

UNI