EDUCATION

Government Statement on Education Programme for Minorities

A National Monitoring Committee for Minorities Education under the Chairmanship of Minister for Human Resource Development was set up on the 28th July, 1995 to monitor the programme of educational development of the minorities (vide) Resolution No. F.8-1/93-SC/ST dated the 28th July, 1995.

Composition:

a)     i) Union Minister of Human Resource Development Chairman

b)    ii)Shri E.T. Mohammed Basheer, Education Minister, Kerala Member

c)     iii) Dr. Girija Vyas, M.P. (Lok Sabha) Member

d)    iv)Shri K.M. Khan, M.P. (Rajya Sabha) Member

e)     v) Dr. Raj Bahadur Gour, Hyderabad Member

f)     vi)Shri Imam-Ul-Haque, Chairman, Rajasthan Urdu Academy, Jaipur Member

g)    vii) Dr. Khalique Anjum Secretary, Anjuman Taraqui-Urdu-e-Hind, New Delhi Member

h)    viii) Shri Anil Bordia, Former Education

i)      Secretary Member

j)      ix) Member-Secretary, Minorities"

k)    Commission Member

l)      x)Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi Member

m)   xi) Secretary (School Education), Bihar, Patna Member

n)    xii) Secretary (School Education), A.P., Hyderabad  Member

o)    xiii) Secretary (School Education), U.P., Lucknow   Member

p)    xiv) Secretary (School Education), J&K, Srinagar/Jammu Member

q)    xv) Joint Secretary, Department of Education, Govt. of India, New Delhi Member

r)      

Terms of Reference:

"To monitor the implementation of chapter 3-Institute at Pune and blackened his face, protesting his Minorities' Education of the Programme of Action, 1992".

The tenure of office of the members of the committee, other than ex-officio members, shall be three years.

First meeting of the Committee was held on the 8th November, 1995. Necessary steps have already been initiated in terms of the discussions and decisions taken in that meeting.

(Source: LSSQ No. 82 dated 6 March, 1996 by R.K. Yadav & MAA Patel)

Madras High Court on Right to Higher Education

A. Balasubramaniam, Appellant v. The Secretary to Government Education Department and others, Respondents.

K.A. SWAMI, C.J. AND SOMASUNDARAM, J.

Constitution of India, Article 48 - Education - Fundamental right as to - There is no fundamental right to claim higher education. (Para 7)

The next question for consideration is whether the prescription of age limit can be held to be violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. As long as there is an avenue open to the diploma-holders who are age barred for the course in question, to pursue, their higher studies the question of their fundamental right under Article 21 being affected, does not arise. Moreover, it has been held in Unni Krishnan, J.P. v. State of A.P. (AIR 1993 SC 2178) that the fundamental right to education is guaranteed only up to the age of 14 years and not beyond that, in other words, there is no fundamental right to claim higher education. As far as Article 14 is concerned, it depends upon whether there is a power vested in the Authority to prescribe the age limit. This question is no more res integral. Division Bench of this Court in Nithiyan P. & P. Prasanna v. State of Tamil Nadu (1994 Writ LR 624) held that age limit can be prescribed for admission to educational courses. This has been approved by a Full Bench of this Court in Bhupeshkar (case)

 (Source: AIR 1996 Madras 95)

Shubhangi Khapre

On Dalit Attack on Arun Shourie

His hard-hitting investigative reports may have shaken many thrones in the past, but for once, well- known columnist Arun Shourie had to face the thunder. himself. On February 25, Mr. Shourie was taken by surprise when around ten Dalits stormed the Garware "false and vitriolic attack" on Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Mr. Shourie was to speak on "Corruption and Criminalization in Politics". The function was organized by Gyanprabhodhini, an organization affiliated to the RSS (Sangh Parivar). Other speakers (included) retired bureaucrat B.G. Deshmukh.

"Some persons speaking in the name of Dalits, Muslims, OBCs etc. have turned mediocrity into a norm, vulgarity a right, civility and reason to be veneered, standards, an elitist conspiracy and intimidation, to be argument. We are licensing these in the name of social revolution. If this goes on, no institution in this country can work".