New Delhi: In an attempt to
implement the much delayed Central board for madarsa education,
Union Human Resource (HRD) Ministry after initiating a dialogue with
Muslim community leaders has now decided to consult the Member of
Parliaments (MPs).
According to the report published in
The Asian Age, a leading Indian English daily today,
HRD
ministry is likely to begin the consultation process with members of
Parliament (MPs) soon to seek their opinion on the controversial
issue.
The ministry wants
to consult MPs from the minority community as well as those
representing areas dominated by Muslims, the report quoted the
government sources as stating.
Stating that with
the ambitious Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education
Bill 2009 going through the Parliament, the report says, HRD
minister Kapil Sibal has decided to push through the madarsa board
proposal which has been delayed by over three years.
Quoting from the
sources the report says,
a Central board for madarsa education would help ensure minimum
education standards in the teaching of non-religious subjects in
these seminaries. The proposal has been opposed by the community
leadership amid fears that it could increase government interference
in madarsas. However, official sources clarified that the
affiliation of madarsas to the proposed board will be voluntary.
With the help of
MPs and community leaders, the government hopes to break the
deadlock on the controversial subject which has been delayed for
over three years.
Creation of a
Central board for madarsa education is one of the ambitious
proposals of the UPA government. The proposal is aimed at increasing
the involvement of minority community in higher education and was
first mooted by then HRD minister Arjun Singh in 2006.
Moreover, the
government hopes that the formation of the board will also help
facilitate the admission of madarsa students into formal higher
education.
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