Gujarat govt appeal on minority scholarship scheme in apex court
8 May 2013 2:55 PM IST
The Supreme Court has refused to stay or give any interim relief to the Gujarat government appeal challenging a Gujarat high court order, which had held that United Progressive Alliance government’s pre-matriculation scholarship scheme for minority community students was not discriminatory.
Gujarat government said that the central government’s scheme for minorities is based on religion and the state government cannot comple it to implement the scheme. It also said that a similar scheme was already there in the state for all poor students irrespective of their religion.
Seeking a response from the central government on state government’s contention that the scheme was discriminatory, a bench of Justices P Sathasivam and M Y Eqbal, however, agreed for regular hearing in the matter from August first week.
The court also issued a notice to a Congress leader, Adam Chaki. It was on his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) the five-judge Constitution Bench of the Gujarat high court by its 3:2 verdict had rejected Gujarat government’s contention that the scheme was discriminatory and had directed it to implement the scheme, which is for students belonging to five religious minorities, including Muslims, whose parents have annual income below Rs 1 lakh. Under the scheme, the central government gives 75 per cent of the scholarship amount while the state government give the rest of 25 per cent.
Gujarat government said that the central government’s scheme for minorities is based on religion and the state government cannot comple it to implement the scheme. It also said that a similar scheme was already there in the state for all poor students irrespective of their religion.
Seeking a response from the central government on state government’s contention that the scheme was discriminatory, a bench of Justices P Sathasivam and M Y Eqbal, however, agreed for regular hearing in the matter from August first week.
The court also issued a notice to a Congress leader, Adam Chaki. It was on his Public Interest Litigation (PIL) the five-judge Constitution Bench of the Gujarat high court by its 3:2 verdict had rejected Gujarat government’s contention that the scheme was discriminatory and had directed it to implement the scheme, which is for students belonging to five religious minorities, including Muslims, whose parents have annual income below Rs 1 lakh. Under the scheme, the central government gives 75 per cent of the scholarship amount while the state government give the rest of 25 per cent.
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