Government Initiatives for Promoting Education Empowerment of Muslim Minority: A Case of MDM (Mid-Day-Meal) and SSA (Sarv- Siksha -Abhiyan) in Mewat District, Haryana

Abstract

Since 2004-05 serious attempt has been made to bring about significant changes in educational development of Minorities, particularly Muslims. PM 15 point programme has been launched. A separate Ministry of Minorities has been created for rapid development of Minorities. The entire Muslim minority concentration districts have been made as Special Focus districts under SSA. A new agency called Mewat Development Agency has been created. A mega Multi-Sectoral Development Programme has been launched by MoMA. Area Intensive and Madrasas Modernisation Programme has been revamped. SSA covers Madrasas willing to transact state syllabi along with religious and Urdu teaching in class. MDM support and ICT support has been lent to Madrasas.  KGBV has a special focus on Muslim Minorities. Since most of the Muslim minority districts/ Blocks fall under EBBs, NPEGEL also lend support for girl’s education. No systematic study is available to gauge the development efforts in the post Sachar Committee period.  Therefore this paper makes a modest attempt to asses and examine the educational development of Muslim minorities in Mewat District in basic education covering eight years of elementary education, which is free and compulsory to all the citizens in the age groups of 6-14 years as per RTE Act 2010.

Keywords: Minorities, Sachar Committee, Madrasas, mid-day-meal