Media says Minority students suffering in state as Modi not using Centres funds

This is pertaining to various media reports which covers in detail how Narendra Modi is not using Minority (read Muslim) Student funds in Gujarat and as a result of which minority students are suffering

NDTV in melodramatic report Crores set aside for Gujarat's minority students go unused writes

But Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi refuses to use the money. "The scheme is to bring equity, as per the recommendation of the Sachar Commission," says Human Resources Development Minister Kapil Sibal. "But as far as the Gujarat Chief Minister is concerned, we all know his attitude towards minorities."

As politics gets prioritised, thousands of students like Tahir are robbed of opportunities that could change their lives.

Indian Express in its report Khurshid: Modi denying minority students funds quotes Salman Khurshid

“I am not happy with the social situation (in Gujarat). I’ll be happy when the courts will be happy. The situation does not facilitate a neutral hearing of someone’s complaint.”

IBN in its Exclusive report Exclusive: Modi deprives poor Muslims of scholarship writes

More than 50,000 poor minority students in Gujarat have been reportedly denied central scholarship.

This report has once again put Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in a spot.

His is the only state government in the country which is not willing to bear 25 per cent share of the central-sponsored pre matric scholarship scheme for the minorities.

This year again, despite of repeated reminders, the state government has not earmarked any money which means the minority students will remain deprived of their due.

IBN also quotes Congress spokesperson, Abhishek Manu Singhvi.

“This is unconstitutional,”

If you were to believe the media there seems to be some sinister conspiracy in gujarat led by Modi to keep Muslims uneducated by denying them scholarships inspite the best efforts of the Congress Government.

Media Watch is surprised that none of the Media included following statistics along with their report

• literacy rate among Muslims in Gujarat has increased by 10 per cent in the last decade and at 73 per cent.
• literacy rate among Muslims in Gujarat is higher than the state's average of 69.1 per cent and the all-India Muslim literacy rate of 59 percent
• Literacy rate among Muslim women in Gujarat is 5% more compared to national literacy average in urban areas.
• In Gujarat, 45.3% Muslim children receive secondary education as against the national average of 40.5%
• Against the plan of the Government of India to provide scholarship to 52,260 minority students under the pre-matric scheme, Gujarat has made available scholarship to the tune of R 227 lakh to 2,25,000 Muslim students during 2010-11 and paid assistance worth R 535 lakh for school uniform to 3,57,000 Muslim students studying in Std 1-7
• the per-capita income of Muslims in the state, she said in urban areas of Gujarat, it was R 875, compared to the national average of R 804. The figure was R 662 in Uttar Pradesh, R 748 in West Bengal, R 811 in Punjab, R 803 in Andhra Pradesh and R 837 in Karnataka
• Per capita income among Muslims community in rural areas in Gujarat is R 668, compared to the national average of R 553

With the above statistics it takes lot of imagination to claim that Muslims in Gujarat is suffering!

Only TOI took the effort to get view of Gujarat government on this issue.  A senior state bureaucrat, requesting anonymity, said

The thinking is, the scholarship creates discrimination among non-minority groups, hence it cannot be allowed here".