New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP and former Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma on Wednesday demanded a uniform legal framework governing all religious educational institutes in the country while alleging that those managed by Hindu-run institutions face discrimination.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, the BJP member said while Articles 29 and 30 grant minority communities the right to establish and administer their own educational institutions -- with exemptions from the Right to Education (RTE) Act -- those managed by Hindu-run institutions are subjected to the same administrative and financial burdens as ordinary ones.
"Article 14 guarantees equality. But in the field of education, Articles 29 and 30 have produced a structural inequality," he said.
Sharma cited a series of court cases to buttress his argument. He referred to an early 1980s case in which Ram Krishna Mishra approached courts to save his school from being taken over by the state. The Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that while the institution was part of Hindu religious practice, it did not meet the required criteria.
He also pointed to the failed efforts of the Arya Samaj-affiliated Devi Sansthan and Lingayat community institutions in Karnataka to retain administrative control over their schools.
He claimed that some state governments funded minority institutions while imposing restrictions on those managed by Hindu-run institutes. He demanded that Articles 29 and 30 be amended or reinterpreted to cover all citizens irrespective of religious identity.
"I am not asking that the facilities given to minority communities be taken away. I am asking that the same rights be extended to those managed by Hindu-run institutes. One nation, one law - that must apply to education too," he said.
The MP urged the government to implement a "thoughtful arrangement" ensuring equal rights in religious education for every Indian.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.
