– Mohammed Atherulla Shariff
Bengaluru: Concerned Muslims held a brainstorming session to chalk out concrete proposals for the next budget of the state to be presented in February 2025.
Experts of various fields and aware of the state governments financial allocations especially pertaining to minorities had a threadbare discussion here.
There are four bodies functioning under the state government which are related with minorities’ affairs; Minority Welfare Department, Minorities Development Corporation, Minorities Commission and Wakf Board.
Schemes which the above four bodies cover, budgetary allocations during the current year and their utilisation were analysed in the first session.
Directorate of Minority Affairs was allocated 1650 crore rupees and it has been utilised fully, it was marked. Education scholarships, running of residential colleges, Moulana Azad Schools, coaching for competitive examinations are major areas that have been covered. Five lakh forty thousand students were given scholarships, 430 students were given aid for higher studies in overseas countries, and scholarship amount to students pursuing professional courses like medicine was enhanced from Rs.25,000 to one lakh and for engineering students it was hiked up to Rs.25,000.
Around 80 Madrasas were identified for contemporary subjects, coaching of which have already been provided with computers, teachers and other necessary material.
300 students were provided with the coaching for competitive examinations with residence and library facility at Haj Bhavan. 62 of them got selected to various departments.
Some 3000 youths were provided with skill development training and 50% of them are into jobs.
Proposal Document for the next budget:
- Pre-matric and Post-matric scholarships are focused on big institutes.
- Community is unaware of the free education in Maulana Azad Schools and colleges, few colleges taken affiliation of Maulana Azad and charging the fees to the students.
- The quality of teachers at Maulana Azad schools is poor because they are hiring the teachers for low salary.
- Rural, Semi-rural and urban areas students are getting equal amount of scholarships. It should be restructured based on the tier of cities and accordingly the scholarship amount granted.
- The girl students from families in rural and slums of urban areas are accorded course fee and ₹1000 monthly stipend on pursuing any skill course post matriculation. It should be conditioned with annual performance.
- Minority students who qualify for the admission in centres of excellence to be awarded ₹100000 in addition to scholarship for 100% course fee.
- The one-time financial support of ₹3 lakh needs to be given to the students studying in prestigious institutions and who qualify GATE.
- Jamia Millia Islamia and AMU need to be included in the list of centres of excellence.
- The stipend for Ph.D. students needs to increase from the existing 25,000 to 30,000 per month.
- Students who receive stipend through national agencies like AICTE, DST, JRF, NET institute level to be awarded financial support in 2 equal instalments.
- Merit cum means scholarship to be continued to minority students who secure admission in state or national entrance test like Neet, KCET, SLAT, CLAT.
- The skill development centres for women and girls who dropped their education need to be established in Slum and Semi-slum areas with NGOs who are affiliated with NSDC.
- Minority concentrated areas need to have a vertical playground for youth engagement.
- Schemes to promote Rainwater harvesting at WAQF Masjid and other built infrastructures.
- The departments can have the PROs or case workers for the awareness, promotion and enrolment onto the schemes. These modules should be incentive or salary based.
- The department must invest its next budget on higher education.
- Budget allocation needs to be increased.
- Evening schools and training centres for the adults and daily wage workers.
- Department can focus on starting the paramedical institutions just like Maulana Azad colleges.
- Maulana Azad schools funds need enhancement.
- The competitive exam training needs to be given for jobs like PDO, SDA at District level.
- The budget needs to focus on the direct beneficiary module.
- Effective utilisation of Maualana Azad Bhavan.
- Tent schools or training centres at Muslim-dominated areas for vocational training.
- The Department needs to start legal aid centres at Muslim-dominated areas.
- The existing Shadi Mahal can be upgraded to the community centres for the youth engagement.
- Minority Development plan should become part of State Policy on similar lines of SC/STY development policy.
- The departments need to propose Special Component Plan (SCP) and Minority Sub Plan (MSP) similar to the existing SCPTSP in Karnataka to make the Minority development as a policy matter.
- Impact assessment needs to be one for the existing schemes for effective planning.
