Maharashtra raises grants for minorities body, doubles madrasa teachers' wages
Ahead of Maharashtra elections, the government boosts MAMFC grants by ₹300 crore and doubles madrasa teacher salaries to enhance minority education
In the run-up to the Maharashtra assembly elections in India, the Mahayuti government recently increased the grants for the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Corporation (MAMFC) by ₹300 crore.
The corporation, a state government undertaking that works for the welfare of economically backward sections of minorities in the state, provides loans for higher studies and self-employment. The government has also doubled the remuneration of teachers providing their services to madrasas for the formal academic curriculum under the Dr Zakir Hussain Madrasa Modernisation Scheme.
"The state cabinet has decided to increase the capital of the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Corporation to ₹1,000 crore," according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). Currently, the MAMFC's corpus is ₹700 crore. "We welcome the decision. The sum will be used for uplifting the lives of minority students," said Mushtaq Antulay, chairman, MAMFC.
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In a separate decision, the state has increased the honorarium for D Ed and B Ed teachers who provide their services to madrasas. "For D Ed teachers, the remuneration has been increased to ₹16,000 per month from the current ₹6,000 a month. The honorarium for BA, B Ed, B Sc and B Ed teachers, who teach secondary subjects, will go up to ₹18,000 per month from the current ₹8,000 per month," said a senior official from the state Minorities Development Department.
Under the Dr Zakir Hussain Madrasa Modernisation Scheme, teachers are appointed on a contractual basis to provide formal education such as mathematics, science, sociology, Hindi, Marathi, English and Urdu, apart from the religious curriculum. Formal education was introduced by the state government to modernise the madrasa education system.
The state minorities development department also decided to introduce a slew of schemes under the MAMFC. They include a 25% capital investment scheme, under which the corporation will provide up to 25% as capital for a ₹5-lakh venture, while the remaining sum must be provided by nationalised or other banks. The rate of interest for the five-year loan is 4%.
