New Delhi: A very prominent Catholic body of India has approached Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to protest against the observation that those institutions, which have less than 30 percent students belonging to a particularly community, are minority institutions.
During the last week, the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) chairperson Justice M.S.A. Siddiqui said (while hearing the cases of Christian-run educational institutions seeking minority status) that he has set a figure of 30 percent of students from a particular minority community to claim an institution as a minority institution.
Speaking against the NCMEI chairperson, Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) spokesperson Rev Babu Joseph said that this suggestion of 30 percent is against the morality of the constitutional provisions, which guarantee the protection of minority communities and their educational institutions.
Meanwhile, CBCI Commission for Education and Culture had forwarded its objection to the Prime Minister, Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal and other related authorities.
Joseph added that there are a number of educational institutions run by Catholic Church in India. The suggestion of NCMEI chairperson might bring fear in the community to lose its minority status.
