NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the recommendations of the Rajinder Sachar Committee on Muslims as also those of a subsequent special panel, headed by Minister of State for Human Resource Development A.A. Fatmi, on the empowerment and education of the community. It directed the various Ministries to initiate comprehensive programmes to implement the recommendations effectively.

Union Minister and Cabinet spokesperson Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the government would present an action taken report in Parliament on the Sachar Committee's recommendations, considering that it had brought out the stark reality of the socio-economic conditions of Muslims. The report would be presented in the monsoon session.

An expert group would be set up to examine and determine the structure and functions of an equal opportunity commission. Another expert group would recommend an appropriate diversity index to promote diversity in living, educational and workspaces.

Data bank

A national data bank would be established and relevant particulars of socio-religious communities maintained. An autonomous assessment and monitoring authority would be set up in the Planning Commission to evaluate the data.

Further, an inter-ministerial group consisting of representatives of the Ministries of Labour and Employment, Small-Scale Industries and Agro and Rural-based Industries, Textiles, Heavy Industries, Health and Family Welfare, Minority Affairs, Food Processing Industries, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Finance and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion would be set up to monitor the implementation of a comprehensive programme for skill and entrepreneurship development of Muslims.

Financial support

The Cabinet directed the Planning Commission to provide adequate financial backup for implementation of the various new measures in the 11th Plan.

As Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Mr. Dasmunsi assured the Cabinet that his Ministry would promote Urdu in a big way, including introduction of a 24-hour channel.

Chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Cabinet meeting gave its approval of identification of 90 districts where minorities were concentrated for implementing special development plans in consultation with the Planning Commission.

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