Owaisi criticises Union government for discontinuing student scholarships
The AIMIM president described the removal of pre-matric and post-matric scholarships as an injustice to students.
Hyderabad parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi on Thursday criticised the Union government for discontinuing pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means scholarships. Speaking at the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) headquarters in Darussalaam, Owaisi described the move as an injustice to students, according to The Hindu.
The AIMIM president distributed educational kits and provided assistance for examination fees to approximately 1,700 students in government Urdu-medium schools. He stated that the government has been withholding scholarships for the last four years and said he strongly condemns the action.
Owaisi cited various data to highlight educational gaps, noting that 15 per cent of Muslim children did not attend school in 2014. He said UDISE data showed minority students accounted for 14.5 per cent in Class X in 2020-21, rising to 24.4 per cent the following year.
Referring to the Kundu Committee report, Owaisi said Professor Amitabh Kundu identified a lack of financial resources as a major reason why Muslim families cannot educate their children. He added that the absence of safe environments for girls and a lack of schools in villages are other factors.
In Telangana, Owaisi noted that the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) among Muslims is 33.6 per cent, compared to the state average of 40 per cent. He said the GER for the community is the highest in the country, according to the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration.
Owaisi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the Kundu Committee report, which was submitted to the Union government in October 2014 regarding challenges in accessing education.