Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
Notice (8): Undefined variable: urlPrefix [APP/Template/Layout/printlayout.ctp, line 8]latest-news-updates/upa-policies-have-done-little-for-muslim-enfranchisement-panel-neha-sethi-24527.html"/> LATEST NEWS UPDATES | UPA policies have done little for Muslim enfranchisement: panel -Neha Sethi | Im4change.org
Resource centre on India's rural distress
 
 

UPA policies have done little for Muslim enfranchisement: panel -Neha Sethi
-Live Mint


Panel to review Sachar committee proposals says conditions of Muslims not changed perceptibly since 2006

New Delhi: In a politically uncomfortable revelation ahead of the general election, the interim report of a high-level panel says that a determined policy thrust by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government has done little to improve the social and economic enfranchisement of India's Muslim minority.

The interim report of the panel appointed by the UPA to review the implementation of recommendations made by the Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee found that the conditions of Muslims had not changed perceptibly since 2006.

And this despite the UPA effecting a raft of policy changes, including the creation of a separate cabinet portfolio for minority affairs and the Equal Opportunity Commission.

It's bad news for the Congress party, which faces a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under its prime ministerial aspirant Narendra Modi in the April-May general election. Muslims are a significant demographic segment, particularly in the battleground states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

"It was the duty and responsibility of the Congress to implement the recommendations of the Sachar committee," said Abhay Kumar Dubey, a political analyst and fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. "They are already losing the minority vote across the nation because Modi is hogging publicity and the Congress does not have a plan to stop him."

Dubey said minorities would seek out regional alternatives, something that could potentially hurt the Congress.

The interim report was submitted to minority affairs minister K. Rahman Khan on Friday by the committee members. It has asked for time till end-June to submit the final report.

As a palliative, the committee has stressed the creation of a diversity index-developed keeping in mind the number of people belonging to scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes and minorities, and women-in an educational institution or government organization or private company.
The report said there should be a commission to rate all organizations on the basis of their diversity index; those demonstrating a higher diversity could then be offered financial incentives.

The Sachar committee report had said that "the diversity principle which entails equity is to be applied not only between the majority and minorities, but also between minorities so that the truly disadvantaged can and should benefit".

The panel that reviewed the implementation of that report has eight members and is headed by Amitabh Kundu, a former professor and dean at the School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University. The other members are P.C. Mohanan of the Central Statistics Office, Amir Ullah Khan, P.A. Inamdar, Manzoor Alam, Jeemol Unni, Ali Ahmed Khan and Abdul Shaban.

The report found that the relative employment situation of Muslims has not undergone much change since the adoption of the Sachar committee report.
Even in public employment programmes, the share of Muslims was found to be low. It said the government needs to provide institutional support that can help unemployed Muslim youth relocate.

"The share of minorities in government employment is less than half of their share in the total population," said one committee member, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Census 2001 estimated the share of Muslims in the total population of about 1.02 billion was 13.4%. A similar break-up has not been made available after the 2011 Census as yet.

All the schemes unveiled by the UPA for Muslims have flopped, said Zafarul-Islam Khan, president of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, a forum of Muslim organizations and institutions.

"These are only promises and ideas and plans on paper," he said in a phone interview. Khan added that only 5-15% of resources earmarked for special schemes had been spent.
The school dropout rate of Muslims is even worse than that among SCs, the panel observed. A second member of the committee, who also requested anonymity, said that according to the National Sample Survey Office data, most Muslim girls drop out of school by the age of 13.

"While boys join the labour market, girls sit at home," the official said.

To meet the twin challenges of employment and education, the report says the government needs to increase access for Muslim youth to technical and educational facilities, and improve the quality of such facilities at the same time. It also recommended larger grants to public institutions that have a higher diversity.

In terms of reservation, the report says that Muslims who are engaged in occupations similar to that of SCs should be able to avail of all the entitlements provided to SCs.
It says that the other backward classes (OBCs) among Muslims should be given priority from among OBCs as they fare worse than OBCs of other religions.

The committee also suggested that an anti-discrimination Act be introduced for Muslims, which would be on the lines of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

It proposed that all Muslim-concentrated districts should be included in the annual health surveys. The National Health Mission should also target and monitor health schemes, and maintain a database based on religion, it said.