Hostel Facilities for Minorities

The Government has said that for expansion of outreach of upper primary schools, particularly for Muslim girls, 1225 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools for girls have been sanctioned in areas with substantial Muslim population since 2006-07. Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Vincent H. Pala, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, said that such residential schools are taken up in educationally backward blocks and the requirement as per norms has been fully met. Under Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), a special area development programme implemented in 90 minority concentration districts (MCDs), 149 hostels for both girl and boy students have been sanctioned for construction since 2008-09. Of this, 115 are for girls and 34 are for boys. Projects are taken up in MCDs based on the development deficits identified by a baseline survey of the district concerned.

Shri Pala informed the House that in respect of higher education, University Grant Commission (UGC) has sanctioned 239 women’s hostels during 11th Plan for construction of hostels in MCDs. Residential facilities created under KGBV, MsDP and by UGC are located in areas having a substantial minority population so that the accessibility of the facility for students belonging to the minority communities is enhanced. Such facilities are meant for all communities, including Muslims, the Minister informed.

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