Varanasi, May 20: Benaras Hindu University has started looking for Muslim teachers for appointment in its educational institutions located in Muslim-dominated areas, following a UGC directive in this regard.

On May 6, UGC Joint Secretary Urmilla Devi sent a letter to BHU Registrar N Sunderam asking the university to comply with the Justice Sachar Committee’s recommendations to post Muslim teachers in educational institutions located in areas of Muslim concentration.

At present, out of 3,000-odd teachers in BHU, just a little over 40 belong to the Muslim community. The component of Muslim students in its 18,000-strong student base is a little more than 300.

Following the UGC letter, BHU Deputy Registrar (OBC and Minority Cell) Chedi Lal Yadav asked directors of institutes, deans of faculties, heads of departments/offices, principals of Mahila Maha Vidyalayas and affiliated colleges of the university to start looking for appropriate candidates for the posts.

On March 10, Sunil Kumar, Joint Secretary (Minorities), in the Union Human Resources Development Ministry had written to UGC Chairman Sukhdeo Thorat over the Sachar Committee recommendations on appointment of Muslim teachers in educational institutions located in areas with high Muslim population.

The Sachar Committee’s findings were that only one in 25 students enrolled in higher education at the undergraduate level was a Muslim, and the figure dropped further to only one in 50 at the post-graduate level.

The HRD Ministry letter requested the UGC Chairman to advise universities and colleges “suitably” so that the alarmingly low representation of Muslim students in higher education could be improved.

While a senior Muslim teacher at BHU, D G A Khan, who is a professor in the Political Science Department, appreciated the move, he pointed out that much more needed to be done. “The decision makers should also work on providing scholarships to Muslim students, recognising madarsas to enable their students to appear in entrance tests,” he said.