By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
New Delhi: Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), Arjun Singh inaugurated the Hunur project here at Indian Islamic Centre yesterday. This is a collaborative project of the union HRD Ministry and Government of Bihar for free skills upgradation amongst Muslim girls.
On this occasion Arjun Singh said education system is changing in the entire world. Today the world is becoming knowledge and skill-oriented, the Hunur project will help girls in their future areas of work. He further said skill education was the dream of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The scheme for providing free education to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes learners through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) was also inaugurated.
The Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Shri Arjun Singh releasing a book titled “Vocational Education and Training”, at the inauguration of the Project ‘Hunar’ Free Skill Education for Muslim Girls of Bihar and free education for SCs/STs students of National Institute of Open Schooling, in New Delhi on July 03, 2008. The Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar and the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Shri M.A.A. Fatmi is also seen.
Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, said Muslim girls will become self dependent through Hunur project because education is a big problem in the Muslim society. This will help them to move with the society. Free education and skill training will be provided to 13,000 girls under this scheme.
NIOS has developed a unique scheme for providing skill training for girls studying in different schools of Bihar. Under this scheme, seven courses for skill training for 12,000 girls will be made available. They include Gram Sakhi, Jute Production, Cutting & Tailoring, Early Childhood Care & Education, Basic Technology and Beauty Culture. This scheme will be implemented through maktabs and madrasas. Under this scheme, NIOS has made provisions for providing concessions related to infrastructure, fee as well as number of students at study centres.
Mohd. Ali Ashraf Fatmi, Minister of State for HRD, said that in the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) maktabs and madrasas should be included so that Muslim society is not left behind in the field of education. The most significant aspect of this scheme is the provision of relaxation of norms for accreditation for Traditional Educationally Backward Institutions especially madrasas and maktabs.