UGC Initiates Scheme To Empower The Minorities

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been identified as the most depressed and oppressed groups of Indian society constituting about 15 and 7.5 percent, respectively, of the total Indian population. In order to safeguard their interests in independent democratic India, specific provisions have been made to improve the status of these people socially and educationally so that they can take their rightful place in the mainstream of the society.

The UGC has decided to make special allocations for promoting higher education for the Minorities during the Eleventh Five Year Plan. The Government of India has declared Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis as religious Minorities. Altogether they constitute about 19% of the Indian population. Their educational development is generally low with wide variations in different states and levels of education.

Smriti Irani, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister announced in the Lok Sabha that the University Grants Commission will be introducing new academic empowerment schemes for candidates belonging to the scheduled caste (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) as well as other minorities. Irani shared that as per the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission Act) 2006, which was implemented from January 2007 onwards, 15% of the seats are reserved for admissions of SC candidates whereas 7.5% and 27% reservation is allocated for candidates falling under the ST and OBC categories respectively. She also elaborated on the same, stating that these reservations are mandatory in central educational institutes which have been established, maintained or aided by the central government of India.

Other schemes to be introduced by UGC include:

• Scheme of Remedial Coaching at Undergraduate and Postgraduate Level for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC (non-creamy layer) and Minority Communities Students.
• Providing financial aid, which would offer equal opportunities to support SC, ST and other minorities.
• Starting residential coaching facilities for minorities, that is, SC, ST as well as women in central varsities, deemed to be universities, etc.
• Establishing a Centre for Studies in Social Exclusion and Inclusive Policy
• Offering corrective coaching facilities for SCs, STs, Other Backward Classes (OBC) and minorities
• Starting career-based courses at colleges and universities
• Making women's hostels in colleges.