Scholarship for minorities: Centre criticises Gujarat in SC

The Centre has criticised Gujarat government for challenging its pre-matriculation scholarship scheme for students of minority communities in the Supreme Court.
In an affidavit filed in compliance with the apex court's order seeking its response to Gujarat governemnt plea against the scheme, the Centre justified the scheme and slammed the state government for opposing the plea.
Referring to Rajinder Sachar Committee report, the Centre submitted poverty among Muslims in Gujarat is higher than SCs/STs.
"The Sachar Committee found a majority of Muslims living in urban areas in Gujarat and, in these areas, poverty amongst Muslims in Gujarat is higher than SCs/STs," it said.

The scheme is for students belonging to five religious minorities, including Muslims, whose parents have annual income below Rs 1 lakh.
In this scheme launched in 2008, the central government gives 75 per cent of the scholarship amount while states have to bear the rest 25 per cent.

The apex court had issued a notice to Centre on May 7 on Gujarat government's plea challenging the constitutional validity of the scheme. The state government moved the Supreme Court challenging the Gujarat High Court verdict upholding the constitutional validity of the scheme.
Gujarat government argued the Centre's scholarship for minorities is a scheme based on religion and the Centre cannot compel the state to implement it and that a similar scheme was in place in the state for all poor students irrespective of their religion.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the High Court had by a majority verdict rejected Gujarat government's contention that the scheme was discriminatory and directed it to implement the scheme.
The 3-2 verdict of the High Court had said the scheme cannot be equated with any kind of reservation and it was an "affirmative action" and "not discriminatory" in nature.
The minority verdict had held it as discriminatory.