Articles
Muslim Women in India
“The need to be vigilant about unconscious prejudice and ill-formed stereotypes about Muslims is critical in today’s world, not least in India where Muslims comprise such a significant proportion of the citizenry and where tragic episodes of anti-Muslim violence have taken place since Independence in 1947. Some recent reports have revealed perhaps startling indications of the extent to which Muslim Indians lag in relation to their fellow citizens in economic level, education, and representation in key public sectors as well as in management positions in private businesses.”
Barbara Metcalf, the Alice Freeman Palmer Professor of History and Director of the Center for South Asian Studies at the University of Michigan, in her article Putting Muslim Personal Law in Perspective (in India in Transition).
Women's Empowerment Through Education
Education is the key to Women's Empowerment. Education can lead to a reduction in Poverty and an improvement in individuals' well-being and societies' economic and social development. Investing in women and girls education is seen to have positive multiplier effects on the wellbeing of their families, their communities and nations. Women’s empowerment through Education is manifest in the official theme of International Women’s Day 2011, celebrated on March 8, 2011. "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women".
Indian Vocational Education and Training Policy
Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an important element of the nation’s education initiative. In order for Vocational Education to play its part effectively in the changing national context and for India to enjoy the fruits of the demographic dividend, there is an urgent need to redefine the critical elements of imparting vocational education and training to make them flexible, contemporary, relevant, inclusive and creative. The Government is well aware of the important role of Vocational education and has already taken a number of important initiatives in this area.
Towards framing a National Policy on the Education of the Indian Muslim
With a National Literacy rate of 63.07%, India fares the worst among the BRIC nations in Education. Only 10% of the roughly 20 million who enroll in the first grade every year finish high school. A BGCG (the Boston Globe Consulting Group) report states that 40% of India’s workforce of 400 Million is Illiterate and another 40% comprises of school dropouts.
The Indian standard of Literacy is low. For purpose of the 2001 Census,a person aged seven and above, who could both read and write with understanding in any language, was considered to be Literate. 70% of the students attend Public schools and 30% attend Private Schools. Students attending Public schools are seen to recieve substandard education.
Towards the Education of the underprivileged Indian Muslim
Vocational Education and Training (VET) is an important element of the nation’s education initiative. In order for Vocational Education to play its part effectively in the changing national context and for India to enjoy the fruits of the demographic dividend, there is an urgent need to redefine the critical elements of imparting vocational education and training to make them flexible, contemporary, relevant, inclusive and creative. The Government is well aware of the important role of Vocational education and has already taken a number of important initiatives in this area.
