By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: The central government informed the Lok Sabha on 24th April that was considering the bill to give constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).
Minister for Minority Affairs AR Antulay yesterday told the Lok Sabha that a constitutional amendment bill was proposed in 2004 in the house and after that it was handed over to the parliamentary standing committee. He said the recommendations of the committee had been considered but other related issues were under consideration.
NCM is believed to have written a letter to this effect to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. NCM has demanded the government to ask the Planning Commission to include a sub-plan for minorities in 11th 5-year plan.
Mr Antulay said as per Sachar Committee report, the percentage of graduates in minority community is very low. He said several schemes have been implemented to push students of minority community towards higher and technical education. These plans include scholarship for the students taking technical and professional education at graduation and post graduation level as per their merit and economical status, and arrangement of free coaching for preparation of entrance examination for medical and engineering courses in different institutes in India, the minister said.