Malegaon: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is being hailed by the prime minister and other ministerial colleagues for presenting what they called as a "progressive and practical" budget. He however has miserably failed in impressing the minorities, who were eagerly waiting to know what the BJP government has in store for them ever since it came to power nine months ago.
Far from appreciating the initiatives announced in the first full-fledged budget of the nine-month old BJP government, most of the people the ummid.com spoke to termed the budget as directionless and lacking in the needed vision.
"The only thing the finance minister announced in his budget is the government plan to launch 'Nai Manzil' scheme for Madrasa pass outs.
"It has been repeated many times in the past that the government should leave Madrasas to their own resources for their betterment. Schemes like 'Nai Manzil' will neither help Madrasas nor Madrasa pass outs", Waris Usmani of Madrasa Miftahul Uloom said.
While unleashing the government's plan to launch 'Nai Manzil' scheme, Jaitley said it will enable minority youth who do not have a formal school leaving certificate to obtain one and find better employment.
In another document about 'Nai Manzil' scheme the government said "it is a bridge course to bridge the academic and skill development gaps of the Madrasa pass outs with their mainstream counterparts".
Usmani said majority of Madrasas are determined on not taking any kind of support or financial help from the government. He said the Madrasas have their own recruitment mechanism which easily gives jobs to most of the Madrasa graduates.
Aamir Falahi of Jamia Islamiah while expressing apprehensions of the usefulness of the 'Nai Manzil' advised the government to concentrate on the welfare of the minorities who are already in mainstream schools and colleges.
"As per government's own record, only 04% of the minorities are enrolled in Madrasas rest all are in either mainstream schools or are not in any school. The government should worry about this 96%. They badly need the government support as majority of them have no suitable access to proper schooling" he said.
Also unimpressed by the budget are the powerloom weavers who were expecting from the prime minister to come out with something really big for the dying industry in view of his announcements made while his recent visit to Varanasi.
"The prime minister had admitted while in Varanasi that the textile industry is the largest sector in India after agriculture. However, this probably is the first budget after independence without any mention of the word 'textile'", Naved Akhter of Malegaon Industries & Manufacturers Association (MIMA) said.
He said the textile sector has lot of people who are skilled but not qualified, and to address this issue, MIMA has demanded from the government to establish a textile college and fashion designing institute in Malegaon.
"The government knows better that to study at institutes like AIIMS and IITs are still a far reaching dream for the children of poor weavers. For them, a textile college or a fashion designing institute is equivalent to studying at these premium institutes. It would have been better if the government had heeded to our demands", he added.
Comments
| Quick linksNews
National
International
Regional
Politics
Education & Career
Business
Science & Technology
Health
Views & Analysis
The Funny Side
© 2012 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.
The finance minister said his government did not intend to do away with subsidies but target them better to achieve the goals. He also said some Rs.8.5 lakh crore will be provided to farmers in the form of credit, along with an allocation of Rs.5,300 crore for irrigation. .... More
Also Read: Kashmir, five other states to get AIIMS like institutes: Jaitley
According to the report in The Peninsula daily, the incident took place last week triggering a big controversy among a section of the expatriate Indian community who said the Photoshop caricature was an insult to Modi. .... More
Emphasising the importance of education, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) senior leader and Telangana legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi Friday while addressing a huge rally in Malegaon urged the crowd to build mosques with schools.... .... More
Also Read: Akbaruddin Owaisi takes a jibe at 'bachelors' Rahul Gandhi, RSS members
An Arab, looking rather like the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, is in the driver's seat, keeping a firm grip on four reins strapped not to horses but to four burly, hooded ISIS militants. According to this perception, the ISIS is a Western, Saudi asset. .... More
Even the reticent and reclusive heir apparent cannot be unaware that a spell far away from the madding crowd will not be long enough for him, or anyone else, to understand why the party is facing an "existential" crisis, to quote one of the 44-year-old prince's. . ... More
A ten-year-old Palestinian boy from Gaza, despite suffering from autism - a disorder of brain development, experience difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, has memorized the Holy Quran in. .... More
Also Read: Saudi King Salman had memorized entire Quran at the age of 12
The Mumbai Muslim leaders had to face an awkward situation Wednesday when Eknath Khadse, Minister of Awkaf and Minority Development Department in Maharashtra, questioned their silence over the conduct of successive Congress .... More
Also Read: Handle with care: Vajpayee aide to Fadnavis on Ismail Yusuf College