The move will bring cheer to the 1.30 crore-strong Muslim population in Maharashtra. (Photo Credit: File Photo)
New Delhi :
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Friday announced that Muslims will get five per cent quota in all educational institutes in the state. He said that the Uddhav Thackeray government will soon bring a Bill in the regard in near future. Talking to reporters about the announcement, Malik said that, “High Court had given its nod to give five per cent reservation to Muslims in government educational institutions.” Putting a blame on the Devendra Fadnavis government, Malik said that, “Last government did not take any action on it. So, we have announced that we will implement the High Court’s order in the form of law as soon as possible.”
The announcement comes at a time when the country is divided over the controversial citizenship law. The protesters say that the Citizenship Amendment Act is discriminatory and anti-Muslim in nature. The move will bring cheer to the 1.30 crore-strong Muslim population in Maharashtra. With both NCP and the Congress ruling the state along with Shiv Sena, such development may not come as a surprise for the political pundits. Last year in December, soon after coming to power, it was said that the Uddhav Thackeray government is likely to announce 80 per cent quota for ‘sons of soil’ in government jobs.
“The Sena-NCP-Congress combine’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government is concerned over unemployment. The new government will enact a law to ensure 80 per cent reservation in private sector jobs for the sons of the soil,” Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said in a Marathi speech.
Last month, the Maharashtra government had said that it will enact a law during the next Assembly session, making it mandatory to teach Marathi language in all schools in the state irrespective of mediums of instructions, said Industries Minister Subhash Desai. Desai, a Shiv Sena leader who is also the Marathi Language Minister, said the draft bill in this connection is being prepared. He made the comment during an interaction organised by the 'Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh'. He said there are 25,000 English medium schools in the state and their number is increasing. "Marathi is not taught at these schools or is kept as an optional subject. Teaching Marathi will be made mandatory at all such schools," Desai said.
(With agency inputs)
