By Mumtaz Alam, Muslim Mirror,
New Delhi, May 12: The Ministry of Human Resource Development has shortlisted 65 educational organizations for the pilot project of Rashtriya Adarsh Vidyalaya (national model school) scheme on Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. They have been selected from across the country for pilot phase going to be implemented in 41 selected blocks. Only one among the shortlisted 65 is a Muslim educational organization while at least 11 reputed Muslim educational organizations had applied for the pilot project.
Among the minority applicants for the scheme were some renowned names like Ajmal Foundation of Assam, ERD Foundation of Assam and Noorul Uloom Education Society of Aligarh. These Muslim educational groups are already running several successful educational institutions including colleges in their areas, but their application for the model school scheme has been rejected by the HRD Ministry.
The Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of HRD has undertaken development, operation and management of 2,500 Rashtriya Adarsh Vidyalayas through Public-Private Partnership on Design, Build, Finance, and Operate. These model schools will be established in 2500 non-educationally backward blocks selected by HRD Ministry throughout India. As part of this project, the ministry decided to carry out the process for selection of private entities to whom concessions for a school in each of the selected blocks may be awarded.
The ministry declared the list of shortlisted applicants and list of selected blocks for Pilot Phase of Rashtriya Adarsh Vidyalaya scheme on 18th April 2013. There is just one Muslim educational group in the shortlist out of 11 applicants. Many of the minority applicants had applied for the scheme in three and four blocks, but they have not been selected for any of them. The only selected minority institution is MESCO Educational Social and Cultural Organisation, Hyderabad.
“The interesting part is that some of these organisations had applied for three or four model school in different localities. Most of these organizations are well reputed and already running with CBSE and state boards well managed schools up-to class XIIth. These organizations were vigorously campaigned for their institutes and put no stone unturned but to their surprise and horror, any of minority institute has not got the approval,” said P. Mohammad, Delhi-based senior AMU alumnus who has been tirelessly lobbying for educational and health schemes for minority community.
List of minority educational organizations who had applied for the project
1. Ajmal Foundation College Road, Hojai, Nagaon, Assam-782435, DD. No. 327808 Dated: 16.04.2012
2. Muslim Educational Social and Cultural Organization,
22-1-1037/1, Darulshifa, Hyderabad-500024 (AP), DD. No. 346343 Dated:
13.04.2012
3. Education Research & development Foundation ERD Foundation, Dr.
R. P. Road, Dispur, Guwahati-781006, kamrup, Assam DD. No. 280432 Dated:
9.04.2012
4. International Institute for non-Aligned Studies & Alpine
Minmetals India Pvt. Ltd.A-2/59, Safdarjang Enclave, New Delhi-110029 DD.
No. 147246 Dated: 09.04.2012
5. Noorul Uloom Education Society, Aligarh, Date of Application Nov
20, 2012, DD No. 829803
6. Asharfi Gramodhyog Sansthan Block Colony Chharra- 202130,
Aligarh (UP) DD. No. 433216 Dated: 07.04.2012
7. Doctor Nakadar Charitable Trust N. B. Complex, Pir Bordi, At
Post: Kadi, Ta: Kadi, Dist.: Mehsana-382715 (Gujarat) DD. No. 657824 Dated:
11.04.2012
8. Institute of Human Welfare Plot No. 487, F sector, N-1, CID Co.
Aurangabad (MS)-431003 DD. No. 432334 Dated: 11.04.2012
9. Muslim Educational, Cultural, Health & Welfafe Society Opp.
Nath seeds, Etikhed, Paithan Road, Aurangabad- 431005 DD. No. 931686
Dated: 13.04.2012
10. Anjuman Educational Trust Rajpur Road, At. & Po. Balasinor,
DistKheda, Gujarat-388255 DD. No. 883842 Dated: 10.04.2012
11. Dr. Rahman Trust, No.22/10, Gummath Palli Street, Parangipettai, Distt. Cuddalore-608502, Tamil Nadu
There are 65 organizations throughout India out of 41 selected blocks for the pilot phase of the Model School scheme under Public-Private Partnership mode have been selected in this final published list but even the educationally very backward states like Bihar and Jharkhand is also completely missing from this list.
“We have already reported earlier also about the biased selected of proposed blocks at all India level and places like Bihar, Jharkhand and minority concentrated blocks has been ignored in this PPP model. The census of Indian states 2011 reveals that Kerala is the highest literate state in the country with 93.91% of literacy rate. Bihar is the least literate state with a literacy rate of 63.82% only but in spite of this the List of 3203 Blocks identified for Rashtriya Adarsh Vidyalayas, Bihar has only – 4 Blocks identified and Jharkhand has – 11 Blocks identified but the much developed state with highest literacy like like Andhra Pradesh – 390 Blocks, West Bengal – 276 Blocks, Kerala – 164 Blocks, Gujarat – 140 Blocks, Karnataka – 107 Blocks etc. have been identified without any basis,” says a group of AMU alumni led by P. Mohammad.
The HRD Ministry and their officials are recklessly ignored the Minority Applicants, state of Bihar and Jharkhand as they are an institutional bias within the decision making of HRD Ministry and a portion of the decision makers are try hard to create Minorities population, Bihar and Jharkhand as a labour colony for a cheap supply of labours in other parts of India.
“We would like to appeal HRD Minister and Senior Officials within the ministry to do the thorough investigation related with decisions about this ambitious programmes and what all parameters and conditions put in place for both the selection process of applicants and blocks. Even if, most of the minorities and educationally backward communities and poor section of Indian Society is unable to complete the RFP’s conditions than there is no point for going ahead with this pre-biased selection process as the objective of this programme is an affirmative action’s and providing an opportunity for the quality education to the educationally neglected section of Indian society. This is policy of affirmative action’s have been already laid out by Planning Commission of India within their Vision, Mission statement while allocating resources for School Education to Ministry of HRD but sad part is that even Senior officials within HRD is not aligned with the laid our vision and mission of apex-body like a Planning Commission of India,” the group said.
“We, Senior Alumni of the Aligarh Muslim University based in Delhi is strongly demand to investigate this institutional bias with HRD Ministry and there must be an action against those officials who are recklessly trying to ignore the most poor and back ward population of India and not providing an opportunity educationally for the young population of these neglected section of society to complete with the rest of India,” said the group in a statement signed by P. Mohammad, Mohammad Aslam, Nehal Ahmed Siddique.