The Sachar Committee report highlighting the abysmal state of Muslims in education, society and employment is now moving beyond the debating stage. At the instance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, several key Ministries have been sent relevant extracts from the report, including its recommendations, and asked to get back with their comments by mid-January. These will be discussed at a meeting chaired by the Principal Secretary to the PM, according to a December 29 directive to all Ministries from the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Those asked to comment include: HRD, Health, Power, Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development, Panchayati Raj and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

The key issues on which responses have been asked include incentives in education, government, private employment, and housing where fiscal benefits would accrue to those who provide more opportunities to disadvantaged Muslims. Also included are suggestions of transfer of funds from Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission to provide Muslim children access to parks and libraries. For villages, the plan is to ensure electricity, road and drinking water as well as minority representation in local self-government and panchayats.

The Minority Affairs Ministry’s directive says that the “proposed procedure and the time limit” for examining the report and suggesting follow-up action has been approved by the PM.

The Sachar panel, constituted by Singh in March this year, had its tenure extended until November 30. Its report tabled in Parliament was not discussed during the winter session but Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi had said that the government would take note of it in the Budget Session where there could either be some legislative measure or targeted budgetary allocation for the minority community.