By MM Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Vice President M. Hamid Ansari stressed the need of providing quality education to all the segments of the society. Inaugurating the Aligarh-based Duty Society’s 125 year-anniversary function here on Friday at Vigyan Bhawan, Hamid Ansari said there are persistent challenges in providing quality education and equity in education.
Addressing the seminar on’ Educational Development of Weaker Sections of Our Nation’ on the occasion, Ansari said still some 6.064 million children remained out of school and of these, a massive 4.6 million or 76% belonged to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other religious minorities. It is a challenge to everyone who is concerned about weaker section’s progress. He also urged the Muslims community to increase the level effort in this regard.
In his welcome address, Keeper of the Duty Society Prof. A.H Siddiqi, said the Society has completed its 125 years of existence which has been playing significant role in educational advancement of weaker sections of the society and the expansion of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) since its inception. To celebrate the completion of 125 years, the Duty Society has organized this function.
Underlining the achievements of the Society, Prof Siddiqi said it has Provided Substantial financial assistance to more than 25,000 deserving students, some of them acquired greater fame in different fields, including important positions of governments in the subcontinent.
Duty Society President Nadeem Tarin also said in his address that the community needs to make constant efforts in establishing the educational institutions. He called upon the gathering to revive Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s educational movement.
In the seminar, Dr. Jaspal Singh Alig and vice chancellor of Punjabi University said in this country a process of exclusion has been carried out by certain upper class sections for centuries to keep weaker sections out of the development process. We should stand united to fight this injustice as still weaker and marginalized sections do not get their due share in the development. Member Parliament Bhagirat Prasad said India cannot become a super power until it’s all citizens get proper education. Lashing out crass commercialization of education, he said now education has become a saleable commodity and buyers are also there. He also deplored that weaker sections do not get proper and quality education as caste-based system is major hindrance in its way.
Prof. Talat Ahmad, Mr MP, former minister Asharf Ali Fatemi, and Prof. Siraj Hasan also addressed the seminar and suggested ways to empower weaker sections. They also discussed the ways and means to remove deficiencies in education and training of weaker sections in India.
Besides Hamid Ansari, distinguished scholars like Prof. S. Thorat, Prof. N.K. Gupta, Prof. Siraj Hasan, Prof. Majaz Moonis, Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Mr Zafar Serashwala and other also addressed the conference. Many distinguish personalities including Dr Ameer Ahmad, Dr Syed Farooq, Mahbubul Haque, founder chancellor USTM, AMU VC, Zameeruddin Shah Dr Merajuddin were present on the occasion.