Government institute for poor in Alwar marred by delay

JAIPUR: India's first world-class national institute for poor, backwards and minorities (government funded), to be set up in Alwar , is marred by delay.

Union ministry for minority affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi had laid the foundation stone on October 1, 2018 is yet to complete its onsite studies till date.

The project was first announced in February 2018. It is running behind its schedule, admitted members of the ministry in a meeting held in Delhi on Monday.

The university is coming up under the aegis of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), a wing under the ministry of minority affairs. Secretary of MAEF, Rizwanur Rehman told TOI, “The onsite studies are in the advanced stage. It will soon be tabled followed by the allocation of funds to start the construction work. The institure will become a reality soon.” The secretary also added that the institute in Alwar is being monitored by the ministry on fortnightly basis.

The onsite studies include feasibility of the institute, estimated number of students, courses, infrastructure and funds. The region is dominated by the Meo Muslims, which are considered to be the most backward community in the country. The ministry had chosen Alwar due to the long pending demanding by Meo Muslims to open university in the Meo belt which includes part of Haryana and Rajasthan .

Has not the ministry laid the foundation stone ceremony in haste? The secretary replied that land for the varsity was made available by the Rajasthan government. “The work has to begin from somewhere and in this case, we started with stone laying ceremony,” said Rehman.

The ministry official said that the institute is likely to be operational by 2020. “Forty percent reservation would be given to girls in the institute,” Naqvi had said. State granted 15 acre land in Kohrapipali village in Kishangarh Bas tehsil of Alwar.