Government withdraws order on minority tag for schools

Bengaluru: The Department of Primary and Secondary Education has withdrawn the Karnataka Educational Institutions (Recognition of Minority Educational Institutions Terms and Conditions) draft rules, which expressed that a minority tag for an institute needs 25% students from any minority religious group.

The draft rules issued a month ago have been withdrawn from the official paper with quick impact as there were procedural breaches while issuing it. A senior Minister in the Cabinet had protested the draft rules. “It was issued despite the fact that it was not considered by the Cabinet subcommittee. The issue was additionally sought after by the Chief Secretary who reprimanded authorities of the Education Department,” a source said. 

After the Cabinet contradicted this, the model code of conduct  came into force, so the authorization to withdraw it was sent to the State Election Commission, after which it was pulled back. The move has been welcomed by managements of minority foundations and in addition educationalists who had left the draft rules, which would have “helped a few schools escape” from saving 25 percent of their seats for students from weaker and impeded background under the RTE Act, if implemented.