Allahabad, Jan 21: In a bid to standardise madarsa education system in the country, the Centre is likely to table a bill recommending creation of a Central Madarsa Board during the forthcoming session of Parliament.
"We are planning to bring the bill on Madarsa Board in
the next session of Parliament", Union HRD Minister Arjun
Singh told reporters on the sidelines of a function near here.
The move to set up a Central Madarsa Board was initiated
following a recommendation made by the National Commission for
Minorities Education in April 2007.
Asked to comment on Vice-President Hamid Ansari`s
statement that a new law should be enacted on the lines of
SC/ST Act to prevent atrocities against the minorities, Singh
evaded a direct reply, saying, "Yeh unki rai hai (this is his
view)".
Earlier, speaking at a function at the Nehru Gram Bharti
Viswavidyalaya, a university set up with the aim of imparting
education to rural youth, at Kotwa Jamunipur, about 35 kms
from here, Singh said the UPA government is committed to
making the "best education in the world possible on our own
soil".
"With this aim in mind, we plan to spend Rs 90,000 crore
on higher education alone in the 11th five-year-plan. During
this period we wish to set up 16 central universities, eight
IITs, seven IIMs and several IIITs and NITs. Our aim is also
to ensure that every state in the country gets at least one
central university", the Union HRD Minister said.
Noting that sixty percent of the country`s population is
young, he said any effort in the direction of their betterment
will automatically lead to progress of the nation.
"We have already made primary education a fundamental
right for the children of the country. Nearly 13.5 crore
children are being fed daily by virtue of the mid-day meal
scheme. We will make all efforts to realise the dream of a
self-reliant India, the foundation for which has been laid by
Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi", he said.
Bureau Report
