The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Karnataka): In a landmark decision, the Congress administration in Karnataka has abolished the mandate for minority educational institutions to reserve a specific proportion of seats for students from their respective minority communities. This move has sparked debates regarding the potential impact on minority representation within these institutions, with critics arguing that it might dilute the essence of granting them minority status.
Previously, the state policy mandated that educational establishments seeking the ‘religious minority’ label had to ensure a certain quota for minority students—25% in schools and 50% in institutions providing higher, technical, and skill development education. Furthermore, management committees of these institutions were required to comprise at least two-thirds of members from the minority community in question.
The directive to remove the quota requirement was issued by the Department of Minority Welfare on March 16, following Cabinet approval on March 12. The rationale provided by the government highlights the challenges faced by educational institutions in meeting the quota due to the relatively low population of minority communities as per the 2011 Census.
This policy shift was initiated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s political secretary, Naseer Ahmed, advocating for a relaxation in the criteria for classifying educational institutions as ‘religious minority institutions’. The decision aims to address the difficulty in fulfilling the quota due to the demographics of minority religions, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis, which collectively constitute 16.28% of the state’s population.
Manoz Jain, Secretary (Minority Welfare), emphasized that the new order aligns with the guidelines of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions and will apply to both existing and newly established institutions, with the exception of medical colleges.
While the Constitution allows religious and linguistic minorities to establish and administer their educational institutions, this policy change has been criticized by some as a potential misuse of Article 30. Critics argue that the original intent of empowering minorities to promote their community’s education might be compromised by eliminating the reservation for minority students.