By IANS
New Delhi : The number of madrasas are increasing not only in the border areas but all over the country and Muslims have a constitutional right to establish their seminaries, said Human Resources Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh Wednesday.
Singh was speaking here at the conclusion of the third annual meeting of the National Monitoring Committee for Minorities’ Education (NMCME).
The minister, however, said that a system is being evolved to monitor the syllabi in madrasas and added: “Once the new system is implemented, I hope we will be able to solve many problems.”
Singh said that the committee meeting noted, “There are certain concerns raised by those running the madrasas of how it (the new system) will affect their control over their institutions and those concerns are being addressed.”
The minister was referring to the HRD ministry proposal to set up a Central Board of Madrasa Education to modernize, standardise and regulate the madrasa syllabus and hold regular examination through the board to enable the Muslim seminaries educate youth to join mainstream of the employment market.
“There has been noticeable difference in the dropout rate (among children of minority community) this year compared to previous years,” the minister said, citing the success of the NMCME, which has been monitoring the implementation of government schemes to improve the educational status of minorities.
Asked if he could say the same of girls’ dropout rate Singh said: “Surely girls’ case is different for any number of reasons including social factors because of which women are not being allowed to come forward. But even this is changing and girls themselves are coming forward which is also influencing the society.”
The HRD minister however denied reports of government planning to provide any reservation to Muslims in educational institutions.
He said: “So far central government has not taken any decision to reserve seats on the basis of religion,” but added regarding the Other Backward Caste (OBC) Muslims, “Minorities will also be considered under the OBC category”.
This was the third meeting of the NMCME constituted by the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government soon after it assumed power and it was held to review the progress monitoring of the HRD schemes to improve the educational status of minorities.