The Centre is working on a "war footing" to ensure that all communities, including the minorities, get "quality" education, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today.
"The minority communities were neglected for a long time when it came to offering education. But the government is working on a war footing to ensure affordable, accessible and quality education for all sections of the society, including the minorities," he was quoted as saying in a statement.
The Minister of State for Minority Affairs said this while addressing a seminar organised by Minority Community Teachers Association here.
There are six notified minority communities in the country, namely Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.
Expressing concern over shortage of teachers in education institutes, Naqvi assured that the government is taking several measures to address the situation, but did not elucidate on the steps being taken in this regard.
He said his ministry will provide scholarships to 35 lakh students during 2017-18 and give employment-oriented training to over 2 lakh youths from minority communities.
"We have also approved 16 Gurukul-type (residential) schools. We have decided to help madrasas which provide mainstream education," the minister said.
Reiterating the ministry's plans to establish five "world-class" institutes to impart "better" traditional and modern education to students, Naqvi said these institutes will impart education in technical and medical fields.
"We are working on a strategy so see the institutes commence academic sessions in 2018. We have proposed 40 per cent reservation for girls in these proposed institutes," he said.
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