Minorities budget 2009

By Aariz Mohammed, TwoCircles.net

---

Support TwoCircles

---

The latest Indian budget for 2009-10 financial year gives 1756.50 crores for minority development. Previous year it was 1013.83 crores. The share in the total budget amount is just 0.17%a meager increase from last year’s 0.11% share. Considering the price hike, inflation, and the backwardness diagnosed by Sachar Committee, the increase of 74% in minority development is another appeasement.

Though it is a good step toprovide grant to AMU for its campus expansion to two other states, it pales incomparison to the grant given to BHU some time ago. At the same time, there is no measure to reduce the drop out rate or to increase the retaining rate of schooling among minorities with the highest drop out rate than any other socio-religious group. The proposal of giving Rs. 5000 crores to UGC for increasing the research fellowships with considerable share to minority during ‘UPA-1’ regime was not even mentioned in this budget.

Policies of SSA and scholarshipschemes are in no way help check the drop out rate among the minorities asthere are lack of schools in minority concentration areas and plus dependenceon chanalising agencies makes it difficult for intended beneficiaries to takeadvantage.

Additionally, money intended for Muslims is diverted to non-minorities or to well off minorities who are well placed to benefit from these schemes.

The new scheme targeting minority women with a budget of Rs. 7.26 crores can hardly meet the objective of increasing their work participation and livelihood programmes. This can be supported by chanalising through general budget of Women and Social Welfare programmes by more specific guidelines to involve increased number of minority women.

Considering that only 3-4% of Muslim children going to madrasas, over enthusiasm in targeting madra sastudents in the name of modernizing madrsasas with a nominal grant through various budgetary heads is another appeasement policy. Instead, why can’t the government open new schools in minorities concentration areas or grant regular Urdu language teacher in existing schools.