TN: Shah Jahan Announces Measures To Boost Muslim Women's Education

Chennai: Minorities Welfare Minister A.M. Shah Jahan on Thursday came out with announcements to encourage women’s education among Muslims, including educational assistance for school girls, payment of fees for women pursuing college education and a separate college for Muslim women in Chennai.

Replying to the discussion on demand for grants for his ministry in the Assembly, he said 10,000 persons belonging to minority communities would be provided training for self-employment in the next four years.

The training would be provided for 2,500 persons each year in information technology, automobile, apparel designing, beauty and wellness, embroidery and agriculture.

He announced the construction of community centres in five districts, including Cuddalore, Mayiladhuthurai, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi and Krishnagiri, where the minorities live in large numbers. The community centres would be provided at a low rent for the minority communities for all family and public functions.

He noted that educational assistance of Rs. 1,000 was being provided to Muslim girl children studying at schools from classes I to VIII and said from this year, educational assistance of Rs. 2,000 per year would be provided to Muslim girl students studying ninth and tenth standards to encourage the education of Muslim girl children. A total of 41,384 girls will benefit from the scheme, he added.

The minister said the fees fixed by government, government-aided and self-financing colleges for Muslim girls would be paid by the government, adding this would help Muslim women get into higher education.