The Prime Minister’s High-Level Committee headed by Justice Rajinder Sachar that looked into the social, economic and education status of the Muslim community is learnt to have recommended “equitable” distribution of available jobs in the “formal sector” for Muslims.

The committee submitted its report to the Prime Minister today and it will be tabled in Parliament.

The other important recommendations of the committee include making “disbursal of bank credit more transparent”, ensuring “quality education” to Muslim children up to the age of 14 while continuing with the “modernisation of madrasas” as an interim measure, greater role for civil society in ending ghettoisation of the community in certain parts of the country and special focus on traditional employment areas of the community.

The Sachar report says that in small towns (populations between 50,000 and 2 lakh) the monthly per capita expenditure of Muslims is less than that of SC/STs. Also, across the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the expenditure per month by Muslims is less than that of SC/STs.

Perhaps, the most interesting aspect with regard to the education of the Muslims in the committee’s report is that a mere “4 per cent” of Muslim children go to “madrasas”.

The Sachar committee, however, did not recommend reservation and seemed to have toed the line of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that a “fair share” of employment should be given to the community in both private and public sectors. Though the committee admits that the “formal sector” (organised sector) is shrinking, it is essential to ensure an “equitable share” of “available jobs” in the formal sector to Muslims.

... contd.