Kolkata: All students and academics staged a protest against the Central government's decision to discontinue the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for students from minority communities. Criticising the Narendra Modi government, they alleged, "Modi's BJP government is taking anti-minority measures so that these communities are deprived of higher education. That is why the Central government is eager to stop the Maulana Azad National Fellowship."
Union Minorities Minister Smriti Irani announced the discontinuation of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship in the Lok Sabha on December 8, she said. Maulana Azad National Fellowship for higher education is mainly provided to economically backward students belonging to Muslim, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Christian and Parsi communities. They used to get this scholarship for M Phil and Ph D. Following the recommendations of the Sachar Committee, the UPA government launched this scholarship in the name of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first Education Minister of the country in 2006.
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Educationists also took a swipe at the government's call to suspend such a fellowship. "This fellowship should have been extended to the larger society by increasing the amount of money. But, unfortunately, the Central government does not want minorities to get higher education. That is why they are stopping the Maulana Azad National Fellowship. I condemn this decision. Every person in society should join the protest," renowned educationist Pabitra Sarkar told ETV Bharat.
Sheikh Imran, Public Relations Officer of the West Bengal branch, said, "The closing of Maulana Azad National Fellowship is one example of the BJP government at the Centre being anti-Muslim. Access to education for minority students is under constant attack by the current government."
Meanwhile, the Student Federation of India (SFI) protested in Delhi on Monday. Similarly, the SFI central committee has directed each state committee to stage protests in various colleges and universities. A protest rally has been called in the state capital so the BJP government is forced to restart the Maulana Azad National Fellowship.
