The UPA Government may be still grappling with the ‘Muslim factor’ in the Nuclear Deal. But it can be proud of one thing — the girl students in the minority communities are surging ahead like never before, courtesy its various minorities-friendly initiatives.

The annual assessment carried out by the Government for the year 2007-08 has found that girls have bagged around 62 per cent of the various scholarship schemes initiated by the Minorities Ministry last year; 67 per cent of the scholarships in the case of the merit-cum-means scheme have gone to girls while it is 58 per cent in the case of the post-matric scholarships.

As per the data, the Muslim community has secured 72.7 per cent of the total scholarships while Christians and Sikhs have secured 17.55 per cent and 6.54 per cent, respectively. Gender-wise break up of scholarships availed gives a more encouraging picture which defies many conventional perceptions. In the case of the Muslim community, girls have bagged 61 per cent of the post-matric scholarships sanctioned in 2007 while boys have got only 39 per cent. It is 63 per cent and 37 per cent in the case of the Christian community and 30.48 and 69.52 per cent in the Sikh community.

“The annual assessment carried out by the Ministry has been an eye opener for even us. We never expected this kind of a turnaround. If we are able to sustain this momentum for a while, then there is no stopping the girls,” said the official concerned.

... contd.