Nod for Tipu Sultan university
The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development has approved the setting up of three Central universities at Mysore, Kishanganj and Ajmer, which will primarily cater to the educational needs of the minorities, announced Union Minister for Minority and Corporate Affairs Salman Khursheed. However, the Law Ministry is yet to give its consent.
Participating in a seminar, `The Role of Minorities in Secular India,’ organised by Bazm-e-Niswan Charitable Trust in the City on Thursday, Khursheed said, “The universities will be set up on a Public-Private-Partnership model and Mysore will have the Tipu Sultan University. The proposals have been sent to the Ministry for clearance.”
According to sources, these universities are likely to come up on Waqf Board land and fifty percent of the seats in these universities will be reserved for minority communities.
The minister also announced that the government would grant scholarships to all students from minority communities. “Presently, scholarships are provided only to a certain percentage of applicants bearing different criteria in mind. In future, we plan to provide pre-matric and post-matric scholarships to all hailing from minority groups,” he added.
Justice Saldanha, former Karnataka High Court judge lashed out at the State government and accused it of `sponsoring terrorism’.
“I visited Mangalore recently after the atrocities perpetrated against the minorities. Moreover, the media has been asked to downplay them. Either the State government should stop committing crime against minorities or be ready to face action from the Centre,” the minister warned.
Former Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council B K Chandrashekar observed that the christian communities were subject to attacks quite regularly in Karnataka. He also added that the representation of muslims in Parliament was abysmally low.
On the poor educational level among muslims in the State, Chandrashekar said that out of every four lakh children who are enrolled in schools, only one lakh plus reach upto the fifth standard. Only 40,000-plus reach upto class nine and tenth. An even lesser number reaches upto the degree level, he added
