A government-appointed panel, which recommended reservation for Muslims and other minorities in government jobs, has said that it should not be used to "kill" competitive spirit and initiative.
The five-member National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities headed by former Chief Justice of India Ranganath Misra made the observation while noting that the dropout rate of Muslims is higher than SC/STs at the middle and secondary level even though their enrolment is better in the primary stage.
The report of the Commission, which was tabled in Lok Sabha yesterday, said, "the socially and economically backward minorities need to be enlightened about the importance of acquiring knowledge and creating competitive spirit with a view to ensure that merit is properly rewarded and reservation is not used to kill initiative and competitive spirit."
Noting that social and economic prosperity is closely linked to the level of education and training of an individual, the Commission said, "acquisition of knowledge and competitive spirit is essential for accessing facilities and opportunities that the society and its economy offer."
It said that the intelligensia among the religious minorities should convince their communities for active participation in educational programmes and schemes and nurture initiative and spirit of competition among them.
The report has recommended 10 per cent reservation for Muslims and five per cent for other minorities in government jobs.
