Media Release
Mangalore, Feb 26: On February 25, Mabel Rebello the Member of the Parliament and the member of the National Commission for Minorities Government of India interacted with the leaders of the minority community of Dakshina Kannada district at Circuit House, Mangalore.
She was here to assess the implementation of the various Governmental schemes of the State and Central Government to the Minorities.
The Leaders of the various Minority Communities expressed their satisfaction regarding the allocation of huge funds for the welfare of minorities and also regarding the various scholarship schemes of the governments. Rebello gave a call to the minorities to utilize the various schemes implemented for them. She also informed that minorities should avail scholarship, incentives scholarships, merit cum means scholarship, free grants since they did not be re paid. But educational loans should be repaid.
To get benefits of minority institutions they are required to produce minority certificates, issued by the authority. Since Act passed by the Parliament itself states that minority institution is the one which is managed by the minorities, the number of minority students studying in the institutions is totally irrelevant.
The Leaders of the minority community expressed the difficulty they face in getting the Minority Status certificate for their educational institutions, owing to the regulation of the State Government, that minority educational institution should have 75% students belonging to minority community. They argued that the insistence on 75% of minority community students to declare it minority educational institution is unconstitutional as the constitution gives them the right to establish and administer an institution for the benefit of their community. The leaders of the minority community requested Ms Rebello to use her good position to direct the State Government to issue an ordinance removing the 75% cap of students of the minority community in their educational institutions to declare it a minority institution.
It was also urged by the community leaders that once the competent authority recognizes a institutions as minority institutions, there is no need to give again and again minority certificate every year. Once the institution is recognized as minority institution Government should not insist on minority status certificate for each of the schools run by the said society. So also once the recognition is granted same should be permanent, subject to inspection by the concerned authorities. Government should desist from inspecting periodically minorities’ status certificate.
Mable Rebello assured that she will discuss the issues raised by the leaders of the minority communities with the concerned departments.
Fr J B Crasta, the secretary, Laity Commission of the Diocese of Mangalore, Fr Alwyn Serrao, M P Noronha, advocate, Fr Xavier Gomes, Fr Valerian D Souza, Denis D’ Silva, Naveen D’Souza and the heads of the Apostolic Carmel, Bethany and Ursuline Franciscan religious congregations were present for the meeting.