Government is aware of low participation of Muslim minorities at various levels of education. The literacy rate of the Muslims, as per 2001 census is 59.1 percent, as compared to country’s literacy of 64.8 percent. Further, the data of 2001 census also reveals that the gap between the male and female literacy of the Muslims is 17.5 per cent against the national gender gap of 11 per cent. Factors attributed to low literacy levels and lower enrolment ratios amongst Muslims as identified by the various Reports and studies, are problems of accessibility, preference to carry on traditional/family profession and financial constraints. This was stated by the HRD Minister, Dr. M.M. Pallam Raju in the Rajya Sabha today in a written reply on the Minorities Eduction.
Government of India has undertaken a number of initiatives for educational development of minorities, particularly Muslim minorities, at all levels of elementary, secondary and higher education and in all sectors including vocational, professional and technical education. Apart from the Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships, Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme and Maulana Azad Fellowship Programme, which are being implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs; Ministry of Human Resource Development is also implementing the Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarasa (SPQEM) and Infrastructure Development in Minority Institutes (IDMI) exclusively for the benefit of the minorities. While implementing other Schemes, inter alia, such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, Saakshar Bharat,Jan Shikshan Sansthan, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, Women’s Hostels, Block Institutes of Teacher Education, 374 degree colleges, polytechnics, etc., special focus is given to the 90 Minority Concentration Districts.
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