Govt Urged to Increase Allocation for Minorities, to Cater to Their Educational Needs in Upcoming Budget
Speaking at the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Education Board’s virtual conference, experts, academicians and educationists have urged the Union Government to increase the allocation for minorities, to cater to their educational needs in the upcoming budget.
As the countdown for the next Union Budget has begun, the JIH Markazi Taleemi Board (Education Board) organised an online conference on the ‘Upcoming Budget-2022-23: Education and Minority concerns’. Experts, economists, academicians, educationists, journalists and intellectuals from different states have participated in the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, economist Dr. Javed Alam stated that minorities play a vital role in a democratic country. Therefore, “it is crucial to always keep in mind their sustainable development while making a project or plan, particularly their education budget.”
Drawing the government’s attention to the increasing educational needs of minorities, in view of their educational backwardness, Dr. Javed has demanded from the government to sufficiently increase their budgetary allocation. Because, he added, a huge amount is required to get primary to higher education, for which financial assistance is essential particularly for the backward and underprivileged section.
Dr. Javed asked that the government announced various educational schemes and policies, but how many of them were properly implemented? He pointed out that they were not properly monitored nor was it disclosed as to how many students belonging to minorities benefited from these schemes.
“Even, government cut the education spending for minorities in the last year’s budget. The allocations for the minorities have been slashed from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 4,800 crore. Whereas, at present at least Rs.10,000 crore is required to cater to their education needs of minorities,” he added.
Addressing the conference, Director of the JIH Education Board, Mr. Syed Tanveer Ahmed asserted that it is our responsibility to remind the Union Government ahead of the Budget about what should be minorities’ allocation in the budget and how much should be allocated for their education. Urging all organisations, intellectuals and experts to come forward for it, he said, the purpose of the conference is to convey minorities’ concerns so that the government should make comprehensive and effective policies and schemes to eradicate their educational backwardness and students can get maximum benefit from them.
Mr. Tanveer informed the audience that a team of the JIH Education Board is studying the possible best ways and means to facilitate minorities’ needs, including their education empowerment and whatever suggestions come up that will be presented to the government ahead of budget.
Urging the government to achieve the goal of public spending of 6 per cent of GDP on education in the next budget, Mr. Tanveer called on the government to improve the quality of spending and decentralise the process of budgeting. He has made various demands, including increasing the fund of ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’, raising the number of scholarships and fellowships for all backward classes as well as escalating the central government’s share of spending on the education sector in the upcoming budget.
Education and Employment Should Be Primary Issues in UP Assembly Election: SIO
Meanwhile, with the Assembly elections due in Uttar Pradesh in the coming months, the Students Islamic Organisation of India (SIO), released its manifesto at UP Press Club, Lucknow, which underscores the demands and issues of the student community. The objective of students and youth has been embodied in its agenda.
The Manifesto is a result of extensive studies around pertinent issues and consultations with students and youth across the society. While releasing the manifesto on December 20, the National Secretary of the organisation, Tahoor Anwar stated: “The demands we have in this manifesto are mainly concerned with education, post pandemic relief packages, employment and other youth affairs, health and welfare, human rights, technology, environment, literature, culture and diversity. We hope this ideological thinking procedure will become an example of vibrant democratic process mechanism and will ensure that the concerns of students especially education is an important challenge that will be incorporated. The affairs of employment and human rights should also become the centre of discussion in the coming elections.
The foremost demands are here:
- According to the need of the society and recommendations of various education commissions, the GDP should be increased up to 8% for the education expenditure.
- There should be a reservation of 10% seats in the medical colleges of the state for the students of government schools and government aided schools.
- At present there is no state or central university in Sambhal district, due to which students are forced to migrate for higher studies. We demand the establishment of a University in Sambhal district.
- NCMEI has awarded minority status to Muhammad Ali Jauhar University, Rampur. All political attacks should be avoided and action should be taken, keeping in mind the interest of the students.
- All Universities in the state should have departments of Urdu, Arabic and Islamic Studies and sufficient seats for respective fields.
- Madrasa education should be recognised as a valid undergraduate degree and master programmes should be started according to its syllabi.
- The proposal of Justice Ranganath Mishra Commission should be evoked.
- In order to promote democratic values and principles among the students, the students’ union elections should be restored in all colleges and universities.
- The basic structure of the schools needs improvements. The proper arrangements of computer labs, smart classrooms, and libraries should be ensured in government schools.
- Ad-hoc appointments must be curtailed so that permanent appointments to relevant vacancies could be ensured so that no permanent seat remains vacant for more than a period of one academic year.
- The state must introduce a step-wise liquor ban policy, simultaneously de-addiction centres should also be started.
- The Government should set up a commission under the guidance of a sitting High Court Judge to review the mishandling of the epidemic and the number of actual deaths happened in Covid second wave.
- Implement Rohit Act to prevent cast-based discrimination in the educational institutions.
Prof. Ayaz Ahmad Islahi (Lucknow University), Zubair Malik Falahi, Tahoor Anwar (National Secretary, SIO), Rafey Islam (President, SIO UP Central), Nadeem Khan (President, SIO UP West), Ahmad Wasif (President, SIO UP East) and Mohammad Zaid (President, SIO AMU) were present in the programme.