Educational Institutions in Muslim Areas

 

Setting up educational institutions, with focus on improving access, equity and quality in Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) is a priority for the Government. This was stated by the Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Dr. Shashi Tharoor in the Lok Sabha today. He said that under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), districts with concentration of Muslim population are specifically targeted for maximizing school access and eliminating infrastructure gaps. Under this programme, as of December 2012, a total of 20512 Primary Schools and 9918 Upper Primary Schools have been constructed in Minority Concentration Districts. Under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), 890 new secondary schools have been approved to be opened in MCDs. Out of 3609 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) i.e. residential schools for girls at Upper Primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC,ST,OBC and minority communities in Educational Backward Blocks, 544 KGBVs have been sanctioned in the Minority Concentration Districts, enrolling 10,821 Muslim girls. In addition under the scheme of establishment of 374 Model Degree Colleges in districts having a Gross Enrolment Ratio of Higher Education below the national average, 12 proposals were received and approved for setting up Model Degree Colleges in Minority Concentration Districts. Under the Schemes of Sub-Mission on Polytechnics, 54 new Polytechnics have been approved in Minority Concentration Districts out of the 57 proposed in 13 States. An amount of Rs.315.16 cores has been released so far. Two campuses of the Aligarh Muslim University have been established at Mallapuram (Kerala) and Murshidabad (West Bengal). The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) has granted minority status certificates to 7292 educational institutions till 31.1.2013. Dr. Tharoor was replying to a written question on Minorities education.