BHUBANESWAR: Around 15 applications from Odisha for according minority status to educational institutions are pending with the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI). This was informed by the Minister of State for Education Subhas Sarkar in the Lok Sabha while answering a query on the issue on Monday.
The NCMEI under the Ministry of Human Resource Development gives the minority status certificates to the educational institutions on the basis of six religious communities notified by the Ministry of Education under the NCMEI Act, 2004. They are Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains. The certificate is a recognition that the institution was established and is being administered by a religious minority or minorities primarily for the benefit of community members.
From 2019 to 2023 till March 10, only one such educational institute was granted minority status in 2020. In the absence of the status, such institutions - both schools and colleges - are deprived of the Central aid. Centre provides grants to the institutions recognised under section 2(f) and 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956, including minority institutions.