Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (I/C) and Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that the government is planning to offer 40% reservation to girls in proposed 100 Navodaya-type schools and five higher education institutes.
He said that the Central Government is planning to set up these institutions in minority concentrated areas of the country. “We want to empower the communities with dignity and, therefore, are focusing on the education sector. We will give 40% reservation to girls from the communities in the schools and also in the institutes. This is to ensure they complete their education,” Naqvi added.
A report by a high-level panel formed by the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) recommended a three tier model to tackle educational backwardness among minorities, particularly the Muslims. MAEF is a government funded agency.
In the suggested model, 211 schools, 25 community colleges and five higher education institutes will be opened to create infrastructure for imparting quality education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. The proposed schools would work on the lines of Kendriya Vidayala or Navodaya Vidyalaya. They are also provided with food and lodging facilities.
According to Naqvi the schools are expected to be commissioned next year in buildings developed under the Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP).
The minister said that the governments in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have expressed interest in setting up the institutes for higher education.
