* Sachar report tabled in Parliament* ------------------------------ Sandeep Bhushan http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?category=National&slug=Sachar+report+tabled+in+Parliament&id=97199
Thursday, November 30, 2006 (New Delhi): The Rajinder Sachar Committee's report examining the status of Muslims across the country was finally tabled in Parliament on Thursday. It was tabled by Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay. The report, a 417-page document, studies socio-economic status of Muslims in India. It recommends amongst other things an equal opportunity commission for minorities and recognition of Madarsa degrees for competitive exams. According to the government, the recommendations will be implemented by February 2007. *Sachar recommendations* The Sachar Committee has saved the UPA government from a politically sticky situation by not recommending reservations for Muslims. But the report on the status of 14 crore Muslims in India details how they are trailing badly in every single field and stresses the need for specific steps to tackle widespread backwardness. To improve literacy and representation, the report: - Suggests raising the allotment of Rs 200 crore to Rs 1,000 crore for the Maulana Azad Education Foundation - a nodal agency for educational activities. - Making the presence of a Muslim member on all employment panels mandatory. - Coopting Muslims in all civic bodies. *Working Muslims* The recommendations are backed by a huge data bank, which the government can now use to push for affirmative action. There are just 4.9 per cent Muslims in 88 lakh government jobs and 7.2 per cent Muslims in 1.4 lakh PSU jobs, mainly concentrated at the lower levels. In the country's top government jobs, Muslims are hugely under represented with just 3 per cent in the IAS, 1.8 per cent in the IFS and 4 per cent in the IPS. "The report is looking at the social, economic and health status etc of the Muslim community," informed Justice Rajinder Sachar, Head PM's High Powered Committee. Muslims are worse off even in comparison to Dalits, tribal OBCs and other minorities. For example, while the judiciary has 7.8 per cent Muslims, there are 23 per cent OBCs and 20 per cent SC/STs. *Lesser earnings* Muslims also earn less than other socio-religious categories. - The Monthly Expenditure of Muslims is lower than SC/STs in all small towns across the country. - 28.3 per cent Muslims in urban India are extremely poor against the all India average of 22.8 per cent. The report may be an indictment of sorts of all the governments since Independence, but it knocks the BJP campaign that right since Independence, Muslims are being appeased. Since it's the first survey of its kind, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the UPA can take credit for it. But because the Muslim voters in Uttar Pradesh may be watching, the government will have to tread cautiously. (With PTI inputs) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ours is a battle not for wealth or for power. It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for the reclamation of human personality." - Dr BR Ambedkar ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
