Will speak to CM Shinde, Fadnavis on Muslim quota in education: Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said he will discuss a five per cent quota in educational admissions for the Muslim community with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.

The then Congress-led government had, in 2014, provided five per cent reservation to the Muslims in admissions to educational institutions when it introduced a quota in jobs and education for the Maratha community.

But the subsequent BJP-Shiv Sena government dropped the Muslim quota when it brought in a legislation to provide reservation to the Marathas.

Speaking at a meeting of the Minority Welfare Department at the state headquarters Mantralaya, Pawar said the five per cent educational quota for the minority community had not faced any legal hurdle (unlike the Maratha reservation).

"I will discuss the issue with Shinde and Fadnavis before taking a decision," he said.

Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, assured that recommendations of a committee headed by the chief secretary to bring uniformity in the schemes implemented through institutions like Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute (BARTI), Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research and Training Institute (SARTHI) and Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute (MAHAJYOTI) will be applicable to the Maulana Azad Economic Development Corporation too.

The Azad corporation, set up for the welfare of the Muslim community, will also get more funds, and it should check if its loan schemes can be linked to the PM Vishwakarma scheme recently announced by the Union government, Pawar said.