By Tarique Anwar, TwoCircles.net,
Patna: In order to make women from minorities self-dependent, the central government has launched a vocational training scheme for minority girl students, but given the past of such schemes, Muslim leaders are skeptical about its effectiveness.
The scheme which will be launched nationwide by the centre on 3rd July was launched in Patna today by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He said Muslims would be benefited with this scheme. After getting training from the scheme called Hunar Muslim girls will surely come into mainstream and will be self-dependent, he added saying his government’s emphasis is on education and without educating Muslims, development of the state is not possible.
But the tall claim by the chief minister was punctured by some Muslim leaders who spoke at the inaugural programme.
Maulana Anisur Rahman Qasmi, general secretary of Imarat Shariah, while thanking the government for launching the programme criticized the time frame for submission of application form for this vocational course scheme. He said students had been asked to submit their application form just within 8 days after publication of the scheme. He said the scheme should be massively advertised so that students in remote areas could know about it.
Talking to TwoCircles.net Maulana Qasmi said that the government will not be allowed to use this scheme as election tool. “Imarat Shariah, Idara Shariah and Rahmani Foundation will jointly form a committee to keep eyes on the development and implementation of this scheme and will suggest the government time to time necessary measures to make it more effective”, said Maulana Qasmi to TCN.
Expressing his views, Maulana Shamim Munami, Sajjada Nashin of Khankah Munamiya (Patna), said he was unable to understand why the state government gave so short time for submission of application form. What was the urgency, he asked.
Given the lethargic attitude of officials in regard with minority schemes, he suggested constitution of a monitoring committee that could oversee the implementation of the scheme. He warned that the initiative should not be used for vote bank.
Under the scheme, vocational courses have been launched for 12,000 minority girls in the state. After successful completion of the first phase of the scheme, its second phase would be launched to train 50,000 girl students from the minority communities, said Anjani Kumar, education commissioner of Bihar. The government will spend Rs 5.45 crores on the scheme which will be carried out by Bihar Shiksha Pariyojna in collaboration with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under the guidance of union HRD Ministry.
“More than 13,000 students applied for the vocational training course out of which 12,000 have been shortlisted”, Kumar said adding girl students of minority community who passed the standard V level examination are eligible to get admission in such courses.
Earlier appreciating Shamim Munami’s suggestion about monitoring of the scheme, the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar requested Muslim leaders to monitor the functioning of the scheme and announced that the government will provide them with all facilities for the monitoring.