'RTE Act not for minority institutions'

 The Right to Education (RTE) Act is not applicable to minority institutions in the country, said Zafar Aga, member of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI).

Speaking to mediapersons  on Saturday, he said minority institutions need not comply with the RTE Act for admission.The constitution bench of the Supreme Court has given its judgment in this regard. The Constitution has conferred this right upon minority communities such as Muslims, Christians, Jains and Parsis to set up their own institutions, he added.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a regional conference on constitutional provisions for minority education institutions. “ NCMEI has powers to intervene and provide justice to minority institutions in case any government refuses to comply with the rule book while conferring status and releasing grants. The commission provided status to over 12,000 institutions in the country”, he added.

Aga said that Karnataka offers the most conducive atmosphere for minorities in the country. He hailed the State government's decision to clear applications seeking minority status in a time-bound manner.  

Infrastructure Development Minister Roshan Baig and Minister for Municipal Administration Qamar ul Islam were also present at the event.