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The Government today appointed Justice (Retd.) M.S.A. Siddiqui as the Chairperson and Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia and Shri Valson Thampu as Members of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions. The appointment comes in pursuance of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Ordinance No. 6 of 2004 promulgated on November 11, 2004 and the notification dated November 16, 2004 issued to set up the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.
The tenure of the appointments will be five years from the date they assume charge of their duties.
The Commission will advise the Central Government or any State Government on any question relating to the education of minorities, that may be referred to it. It will also look into specific complaints regarding deprivation or violations of the rights of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice, and any dispute regarding affiliation to a Scheduled University and report its findings to the Central Government for its implementation. The Commission will also take suitable steps as may be necessary, incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the objects of the Commission.
The Commission would also be the Appellate Authority for resolving all disputes regarding affiliation that may arise between a University and Minority Educational Institutions.
The setting up of the Commission fulfills an important commitment in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP) that “the UPA will amend the Constitution to establish a Commission for Minority Educational Institutions that will provide direct affiliation to minority professional institutions to Central Universities.” On examination, it was found that it was not necessary to amend the Constitution and the purpose can be achieved by suitable legislation.
It may be recalled that the issue had been widely discussed through a series of meetings and seminars on Minority Educational Institutions beginning with a Dialogue on Minority Welfare and Education on 3 – 4 July 2004 at Vigyan Bhawan, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Subsequently, the National Minority Committee for Minority Education had also discussed this issue. The Ordinance reflected the consensus emerging from these deliberations.
With the nomination of the Chairperson and the Members of the Commission, it is expected that the Commission would now start operating within a short time and give the necessary impetus to the implementation of the constitutional provisions with regard to the education of the minorities.
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