Mr. Ilyas Razvi IFS M D Vice C, A P State Minorities Corporation receiving SKOCH Award from Shri Jaipal Reddy Hon Minister Govt of India, also seen with Shri Mantok Singh Aluwalia Dy Chairman Planning Commission of India.

Education is first step toward wisdom and economic liberty. For decades a large section of the society for some reason of the other has be deprived from means and environment to acquire it.

Justice has not been done, mainly the minorities of India. The reservation policy which came in to effect in very early times immediately after Independence and Partition of the Country in to two.

Stalwarts of freedom struggle worked out formula for bringing in and implementing policy of providing reservations to SC and ST communities of the country and initially Muslims were also part of such policy reason known to the stalwarts yester-years what went off behind the screens of power and how Minorities missed out on reservation for them with SC and ST is a subject of research and debate.

I do not like to touch it now after six decades and more. Had it been done in time and had they be treated with due consideration and merit the condition of the various Minorities in the Country would have been, if  not on par with their most  of fellow Indians but surly would have been far better that could have added great impetus to national growth and prosperity.  That is  past now, we can only take lesson for it, and pledged not to commit such blunders again.  One such great effort few of our governments in states have initiated in past and more recently in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The Govt of Andhra Pradesh kept a commitment given to its Muslims of the state  by implementing 4 percent reservation to the Muslims in specific in Education and Govt Jobs.  And having scholarship for Minorities in almost all areas of education starting from intermediate colleges  to Phds in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Complimenting to the commitment to provide reservation and scholarships to Minorities Govt of Andhra Pradesh was fortunate to have series of Chief Ministers who added to its commitment and pushed the idea of providing education and financial support by government in AP.

Right from large hearted CM Y S Rajsheker Reddy  who started to initiated the reservation and scholarship in big way, and following Chief Ministers  after his tragic death in helicopter accident Shri Roashiah and now C M Shri Kiran Kumar Reddy  Minorities and the Muslims of  AP  got patronage and bigger encouragement with open mind to  the schemes  effective implementation and their has not been any hurdle in sanctioning of the funds required and policy implementation all rolled out schemes.

One major factor which has played a key and pivotal role in success has been the able and dynamic vision, planning and implementation of governments commitment to the Minorities has been the Mr. Ilyas Razvi a I F S who had earlier served in Indian Forest Services with flying colors, who heads the Minorities Financial Corporation as Managing Director and Vice Chairmen of the MFC AP.  

Mr. Ilyas got various awards for his innovative and revolutionary software and delivery system designed solely by his team  I T team, under his guidance and supervision. That has revolutionised the distribution and monitoring system of the scholar ships for the Minorities in AP.  

The Department of Minorities Finincial Corporation has succeeded in showing path to the rest of nation, I will not be wrong if I further it by saying it showed a path to world scholarship and public fund distribution systems transparent and thoroughly efficient and flawless functioning that has shown results in quality and quantity. 

Govt policy for Shcolarship for Minorities in State of Andhra Preadesh which is under rule of Congress Party since 2004. 

1. Who is Eligible for Scholar Ship :  A student with his parents gross income per year is not exceeding Rs. one lakh,  who belongs to Minority Community  and comes the route and who is passes the requisite level of scholar ship he applies for. This is not open to all sections of the Minorities it is open only to economically backward among the Minorities.

2.Streams of Coarses : Various streams of education he is eligible to apply, Intermediate, BA, BSc, Arts, Languages, Science, Professional Coarses and Masters and Phd levels, from beginning to top most levels of education rendering in the State of A P.

3. Registration  and award of scholar ship procedure : All resgistartions and applications are made on line on  www.apsmfc.com and approvals are made on line by way of emails and sms directly to the candidate with no middle man. All that the candidate requires is eligibility and proper processing of the documents that are submitted to the MFC on net.

4. How the Dispersment n is Made:   On approval of the scholar ship payments are made in to the account of the candidate as per the requisite fees it may wary from few thousands in cases of arts and science to thirty to thirty five thousand in cases of professional coarses yearly. The system identifies the

4. Govt allotment of Budget and Any Limitation : The beauty of  AP Govt led by Kiran Kumar Reddy is all the scholar ship schemes for backward communities in the state their is no upper cap on allotment of funds. That means the fund provision is responsibility of the Govt. though the budget allotment is made by the Govt in State Budget but that is not a binding on the MFC it is only a indicative budget allotment and all that exceeds the allotted funds is responsibility of the government to provide and the track  record of last four years shows the govt has added the deficit and paid for the scholar ships as per the intake and approvals for scholarships.

I would like to make a very valid point at this point of understanding and elaborated procedures and fund allotment fundamentals.  In case of  SC and ST Scholar Ships a section of SC/ST which is about 21 percent of total population in state of Andhra Pradesh is able to benefit from effective dispersed scholarship to a tune of  around Rs. 3200 which amounts to nearly 15 crore allotment to them per 1 percent of their population in the state.

The growth of number of people who take scholar ships in SC/ ST is enormous on merit of awareness, desire to particiapte in big numbers in process of knowledge gathering, proper community guidance platforms, positive role of  activists for uplifting of community among them.

The Muslims community and the rest of the Minorities have a great learning to take from  economically considered backwards in SC/ ST community.  They take the gesture of the government very seriously and try to take full advantage and seriously focus on extracting maximum benefit  and do not miss out on the funds available to uplift them from the levels of economically backward to economically uplifted.

The Muslim community lacks the zeal and drive to muster knowledge, make available information about various benefits and schemes of scholarships from government.  It also lacks groups to motivate,guide and counselling in a big way reaching out to community backwards village by village and mandal by mandal in a organised manner.  The result is seen in poor performance of not really benefiting from the schemes of government.

Muslims are a 9 percent population in state of A P.  for example, in  year 2010 – 11 scholar ship benefit availed by the community  made available by the government for them is mere  2.9 cores for 1 percent of their population.  If you compare it to the SC/ST  their benefit bar is 1 % equals 15 cores.  which is 7 to 8 times higher than the Muslim Community.

For Muslims here is a big learning and motivation how SC and ST’s are taking advantage and why the Muslims are failing and what all the measures they require to immediately take and put in practice as community for fast uplifting of the backwards in the Muslim Community.  ( I do not have the figures for the rest of the Minorities separately but the story of them will not be much different form the Muslims )

5. Convener Qouta and Management Qouta in Professional Qouta : 80%  of the seats are available with the Convener and the deserving can apply and on merit get rewarded with scholarships.

6. To Compliment the State Financial Support for Minorities their is additional fund is pumped in to scholar ships from Prime Ministers 15 point program me for development of Minorities.

7. Reservation how it is linked with Scholar Ship : There is 4 percent reservation for Muslims in AP and their is scholar ship for economically backward Minorities.  In 4 % irrespective to the economic status the community gets reservation.  And when it comes to Scholar Ship the only economically backward are eligible.  One lakh or less than one lakh  income of the parents limit,  which earlier was 60,000.

Looking in to the inflation burden their is immediate need for revising it to at least 2 lacs limit. In a family of  6,  per ca pita income shared does not come more than less than 16 thousand per year a mere Rs. 1380 per month for each member of the family.  But if the family is large like in most of the cases in India is Rs. 1380 may not be the right amount comfortable for living.  I feel their is room for improvement and the government by increasing the limit from 1 lakh to 1. 5 lakh will open doors of opportunity for many more among the the Economically Backwards.

The results that are available for all to see in Andhra Pradesh in education filed is enough to confirm their was intellect, capabilities among the Muslim though Economically backward but the levels of confidence and courage was short due to inability to fund education by parents. And a fear if attempted with external loan or by mortgage’s of  ornament and small belonging or house they live may be lost stopped them from taking bold decision of sending children to meaning ful and education which would provide both economic and social upliftment.  Now with the scholarship boon in AP the Minorities and specially the Muslims gained the courage and confidence with support of MFC scholarships.

The pattern is gradually but surely changing in last four years around nearly half a  million ie 5 lakhs,  Muslims Boys and Girls have benefited with this scheme and a total scholar ships  to this date of Rs. 771 cores to deserving economically backward Minorities in state of AP.

What is needed today is a focused, planned, aggressive, and effective effort by the Government and the Community to council, educated the importance of education the power it has to bring change in them and their families and help build community and nation. At the same time become a strength to for the nation and be active participant in its growth and reap the benefits of its  advancement.

Thus wipe the image off and build a new image of a literate and forward looking supportive force in India who are ready to burden greater role as main stream players with rightful presence in services, administration, industries, IT, and all spheres of life.

Imagine with a population of nearly 90 lakhs in AP the Muslim community if it maintains serge in Education at rate of  assuming 7 to 12 lakhs beneficiary in a year with a decade we will have at least 60 %  to 65 %  of Muslim population in better jobs with good education earning reasonable lively hood and salaries supporting them selves and serving the family and nation.  The jinx has to be broken we need very large and very fast participation in entrance exams and cash in all the avalialbe opportunity extended by the government.  The govt will fund limit less as the scholar ship schemes in AP is with out upper cap. Hope Muslims understand and act really fast.

There is more on the subject, how such efforts by our state governments can be replicated and means, ideas, processes of bettering the systems and a border national perspective will be discussed in my next article on the subject of minorities reservation, scholarships and setting goals providing parents and motivating them and linking perks and facilities to education.