Guidelines for minority edu institutions issued

CHENNAI: The Department of Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes (BC, MBC) and Minorities Welfare has released a set of guidelines to provide minority status to educational institutions. Further, the department has formed a committee with top officials to implement and monitor the issuance of minority status.

The set of guidelines framed by the director of minorities welfare noted that educational institutions originally not established by a minority community cannot acquire such status under any circumstances. It is imperative that all trustees or members belong to the concerned minority.

In the case of private institutions offering professional courses, they shall admit 50 per cent strength from the minority alone. If not, such vacancies must be filled up on the basis of merit prepared by the competent authority.

Importantly, the guidelines clarify that to decide if any educational institution is a minority or not based on language or religion, the total population of the minority in the state must be considered and not in one particular region alone.

Subsequently, to receive applications seeking minority status, the directorate of minorities welfare will be the nodal office, where all types of institutions like schools, arts and science colleges, technical education institutions, agricultural, law and medical colleges can apply.

Upon thorough verification, the director of minorities welfare will place the application to an empowered committee for scrutiny before issuing the minority status to the educational institutions.

While the Chief Secretary will act as the chairperson of the committee, additional chief secretary of BC, MBC and Minorities Welfare Department and principal secretaries of Higher Education, School Education, Health and Family Welfare, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Law and Animal Husbandry and Fisheries departments will be the members. The committee will meet once in three months for review the status of the pending applications.