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The UPA government’s programmes to improve the conditions of minorities have not yielded much in terms of health and education, at least for Muslims.
An interim report has recently been given to the minority affairs ministry on the impact of government programmes on Muslims and the pace of implementation of the Sachar committee recommendations. It has found the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) among Muslims was among the lowest in all social groups. As the community shows the least percentage of childbirths in public health facilities, the community lags all others in taking advantage of the latter.
The report adduces various possibilities for this state of affairs. It was prepared by a committee headed by Amitabh Kundu, a professor from the Centre for Study of Regional Development at Jawaharlal Nehru University here. The final report is expected around June.
On neo-natal care, the report said a higher percentage of Muslim women had no access compared to not only upper caste Hindus but also Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Scheduled Castes.
“This is also an indicator that Muslim women were benefiting the least from the Centre’s reproductive and child health programmes. Upper castes seem the biggest beneficiaries,” the report said.
On post-birth care, too, it said Muslims were way down in coverage under the programmes among all social groups.
For the interim report, the committee based its analysis on the District Level Household and Facility Survey of 2007-08, the three rounds of the National Family Health Survey and the 68th Round of the National Sample Survey.
It has suggested health interventions planned by the government under the National Health Mission be targeted and monitored on the basis of religion and other background characteristics.
On education, the report was more scathing. It says in 2011-12, the dropout rate among Muslims started much earlier than in other communities, at around 10 years; it increases significantly after the age of 13. In upper caste children and Hindu OBCs, it starts around 11 years and peaks after 14 years.
“Most of this dropout rate may be driven by the withdrawal of the girl child at the age of puberty due to social norms,” the report said.
In higher education, too, the committee found Muslims considerably lagged Hindus and other religious groups. The highest share of persons with graduation was among upper caste Hindus (14.6 per cent); for Muslims, it was only three per cent in 2011-12. “Overall literacy rates, school attendance rates and higher education attainment are all very low among Muslims,” it said.
The government had appointed the Sachar committee in 2005 on the social, education and economic conditions of Muslims. The report was presented in the Lok Sabha in November 2006. Subsequently, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came out with a 15-point programme for minorities. The aims include enhancing the opportunities for education among minorities, an equitable share in economic activities and employment, and improving the conditions of living.
COMMITTEE FINDINGS
- Muslims have lower infant mortality rate as compared to Hindus
- But their access to public health system in the country is lowest among all social groups
- In neo and post-natal care, Muslim women fare much worse than Hindus
- In education, dropouts among Muslims begin earlier compared to other social groups
