Scheme for Providing Quality Education to Madrasas/Minorities

• 13 Dec 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has enquired with the Union Government for the delay in approving the continuation of the Scheme for Providing Education to Madrasas/Minorities (SPEMM).

• SPEMM seeks to provide financial assistance to madrasas and minority institutes.

What is SPEMM?

• Implementing Agency:
  • The Department of School Education and Literacy under the Ministry of Education.
• Sub-Schemes:
  • Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madrasas (SPQEM): It seeks to bring about qualitative improvement in Madrasas to enable Muslim children attain standards of the National education system in formal education subjects.
  • Infrastructure Development of Minority Institutes (IDMI): It has been operationalised to augment Infrastructure in Private Aided/Unaided Minority Schools/Institutions in order to enhance the quality of education to minority children.
• Features:
  • SPQEM:
    • To provide financial assistance to traditional institutions to encourage them to introduce Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum to attain proficiency.
    • To strengthen State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance by enabling them to monitor the Madrasa modernization programme.
    • To provide quality components in Madrasas such as remedial teaching, assessment and enhancement of learning outcomes, Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan etc.
  • IDMI:
    • To encourage educational facilities for girls, children with special needs and those who are most deprived educationally amongst the minorities.

Note

• Under Article 30 of the Constitution of India, all minorities, whether based on religion or language, shall have the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.
• The protection under Article 30 is confined only to minorities (religious or linguistic) and does not extend to any section of citizens (as under Article 29).

What are Parliamentary Committees?

• About:
  • A Parliamentary Committee is a panel of Members of Parliament that is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
  • The committee works under the direction of the Speaker/chairman and it presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/chairman.
  • Parliamentary Committees have their origins in the British Parliament.
  • They draw their authority from Article 105 and Article 118.
    • Article 105 deals with the privileges of MPs.
    • Article 118 gives Parliament authority to make rules to regulate its procedure and conduct of business.
• Types:
  • Standing Committees:
    • The Standing Committees are permanent (constituted every year or periodically) and work on a continuous basis.
    • Standing Committees can be classified into the following six categories:
      • Financial Committees, Departmental Standing Committees, Committees to Inquire, Committees to Scrutinise and Control, Committees Relating to the Day-to-Day Business of the House, House-Keeping Committees or Service Committees.
  • Ad Hoc Committees:
    • The Ad Hoc Committees are temporary and cease to exist on completion of the task assigned to them.
    • They are further subdivided into Inquiry Committees and Advisory Committees.
    • The principal Ad hoc Committees are the Select and Joint Committees on Bills.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q.1 In India, if a religious sect/community is given the status of a national minority, what special advantages it is entitled to? (2011)

1. It can establish and administer exclusive educational institutions.
2. The President of India automatically nominates a representative of the community to Lok Sabha.
3. It can derive benefits from the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)

Q.2 In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors l ike telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.? (2019)

1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament
2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees
3. Finance Commission
4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission
5. NITI Aayog

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 1 and 2
(b) 1, 3 and 4 
(c) 3, 4 and 5 
(d) 2 and 5

Ans: (a)

Q.3 With reference to the Parliament of India, which of the following Parliamentary Committees scrutinizes and reports to the House whether the powers to make regulations, rules, sub-rules, by-laws, etc., conferred by the Constitution or delegated by the Parliament are being properly exercised by the Executive within the scope of such delegation? (2018)

(a) Committee on Government Assurances
(b) Committee on Subordinate Legislation
(c) Rules Committee
(d) Business Advisory Committee

Ans: (b)

Source: TH