New rules announced for minority institutions

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to issue additional guidelines for the granting of minority status to educational institutions following a proposal from the Directorate of Matriculation Schools. 

Accordingly, all educational institutions coming under the purview of the School Education Department, including teacher training institutes, claiming minority status will now have at least 50 per cent of the seats reserved for the students belonging to backward classes. 

The institutions receiving less than 50 per cent of eligible applications from minority communities would have to admit all such students without screening or imposing any conditions, such as economic condition of the family, distance from the institution, the students’ academic performance, on them.

Clarifying that the concept of minority is state-specific and is with reference to proportion of population in that state, the order said, “The students belonging to any minority group residing only in the state of Tamil Nadu could claim right for admission in such educational institutions.”

Quoting the order issued by School Education Department, a senior official said in case the aided institutions including teacher training institutes must admit not more than 75 per cent of the students belonging to a certain minority community in every academic year.

Moreover, the order stated that all minority educational institutions in the state must admit at least 50 per cent of the students belonging to the minority categories in any given academic year in the future as well.

“Schools should take all measures to ensure easy and transparent access to minority students,” the order by the Tamil Nadu government said. 

“The educational institutions should also submit their returns with regard to the percentage of minority students admitted to the authorities concerned by the end of September every year without fail in order to retain their minority status,” the order further stated.