Educational Bonanza for minorities! Minority ministry ready to gift 5 universities

K Rahman Khan, Minister of Minority Affairs said, "the five varsities are being started under Constitution's Article 31 (rights to minorities to start educational institutions).  Our ministry has already constituted a panel headed by retired UGC chairman Sukhadeo Thorat to prepare a feasibility report for the five varsities, draw up the syllabus and submit the same by February".

The proposal of Union Ministry of Minority Affairs to set up three minorities universities across the country in Bangalore (Karnataka), Kishanganj (Bihar) and Ajmer (Rajasthan) is facing issues due to its model. After the statement of Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan to give a physical shape to the universities in Rajya Sabha in November 2012 the proposal got a fresh hope. However, the flaws in proposal in making it bone of contention between the union ministry and state. 

At the meantime, ignoring the protests, along with three other varsities across the country where minority students will get 50 per cent reservation, the Union minister of minority affairs is going ahead with the proposal of setting four more universities exclusively for minorities.

This past week a leading newspaper of India reported the issue of Tipu Sultan University in Bangalore, which became a part of controversy as well among political parties and concerned stake holders. The proposal to set up a university on public-private partnership model at Srirangapatna, about15 km from Mysore and name it after Tipu Sultan is opposed by political parties. 

BJP MLC and spokesperson G Madhusudan has opposed saying no land will be given for setting up the university, while the Congress has taken the stand that the BJP government's acceptance or rejection hardly matters for the university's setting up.

In fact, Mr. Khan and his ministry has planned to open four universities for minorities in West Bengal, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir. These universities will be set up in association with the Maulana Azad Education Foundation functioning under the ministry, informed the report.

While talking with media, Mr. Khan said, “it does not matter to us whether Karnataka government gives us land or not because being a public-private partnership, we can seek land from private parties. There are many who have offered to donate land or the wafks board can give us. We need only 50-100 acres and many have come forward to give.”

Apart from not being under the state government 's obligation for land, Khan said the five varsities are being started under Constitution's Article 31 (rights to minorities to start educational institutions).  Our ministry has already constituted a panel headed by retired UGC chairman Sukhadeo Thorat to prepare a feasibility report for the five varsities, draw up the syllabus and submit the same by February.