Friday, January 6 2006 16:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet today (Jan 6,2006) to promulgate an ordinance to empower the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NEMEI) to make it more effective and pro-active in protecting the educational institutions of minorities.

After the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Cabinet approved the promulgation of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (Amendment) Ordinance and replace it by an Act in the coming Budget Session of Parliament.

The Parliament had passed the Constitution (93rd Amendment) Bill 2005 at the recently-concluded Winter Session, which exempted the minority institutions from the purview of reservation.

In order to exempt eligible minority educational institutions, it had become necessary to empower the NEMEI with necessary powers through the ordinance.

The ordinance would enable exemption to only eligible minority educational institutions from granting reservation to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes with regard to students seeking admission in these institutions.

It would also empower the NEMEI to proceed against those institutions which were misusing the minority status.

The CCEA also gave its approval to certain minor modifications and additions to its earlier decisions relating to strengthening and development of agricultural education.

These included development and strengthening of state agricultural universities, deemed universities and central universities at a cost of over Rs 500 crore.

Besides, the National Talent Scholarship rates will be increased to Rs 1,000 per month per under-graduate student and providing support to these institutions for excellence in niche areas.