HRD Minister Arjun Singhlaunched the Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarasa ( SPQEM ) through National Institute of Open Schooling ( NIOS ) by distributing free study material to students of madarasa and maktab. Arjun Singh also inaugurated the newly constructed building and Learner Support Centre (Call Centre) of NIOS through video conferencing. Human Resource Development Minister also felicitated NIOS for bagging the National Award for e-Governance from the Dept. of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, Government of India. The registered Trade Mark of NIOS was also released by Arjun Singh. M. A. A. Fatmi, Minister of State for School Education and Literacy ; Anshu Vaish, Secretary, SE&L; and Maulana Wali Rahmani, Chairman, Sub-Committee, NMCME, were also present.
Launching the Scheme sponsored by the Central Government, Arjun Singh highlighted various measures undertaken by the UPA Government for the upliftment of the minorities. He emphasized the importance of National Monitoring Committee for Minority Education (NMCME) and said that this Committee gave a number of valuable recommendations including the one to link Madarasa and Maktabs to NIOS. Arjun Singh said that SPQEM will bring about a qualitative change in the education being imparted through Madarasas and Maktabs. He said that this will bring them into the mainstream of national education system.
