Delhi High Court Rejects Petition Against Dissolving Maulana Azad Education Foundation
The Delhi High Court upheld the center’s decision to dissolve the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), which promotes education among educationally backward minorities. The court was hearing the petition filed by Syeda Saiyidain Hameed (Grandniece of Maulana Azad), John Dayal, and Daya Singh against the February 7 order of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
A bench of acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Mini Pushkarna observed the fact that the meeting of the general body of the foundation in November 2022 detected ‘significant irregularities’ in its operation.
The High Court while dismissing the petition said, “Thus, it is seen that the decision to dissolve the MAEF is a well-considered decision, duly taken by the General Body of the MAEF in terms of the authority vested in it by way of the Bye-Laws of the MAEF and as per the provisions of the (Societies Registration) Act”.
Notably, MAFE was created by the Central Waqf Council (CWC) which reported ‘conspicuous financial discrepancies’ in the audit to the Ministry of minority affairs. Acting on it, on February 7, 2024, the Ministry communicated the approval for the closure of the foundation.
However, the petitioners argued that MAEF was established as an autonomous society and could not act according to the dictates of the Union of India.
Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF)
Established in 1989 to support the educationally backward minority community, the foundation is named after the first educational minister of independent India Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Funded by the minority ministry, the government of India, the foundation has been providing financial assistance such as scholarships and grants to six notified minority communities — Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi, and Sikh — to pursue MPhils and PhDs.
How the decision will impact minority community education, especially girls?
According to the findings of the latest 2020-21 All India Survey on Education (AISHE) conducted under the Ministry of Education, the Muslim community is lagging behind all communities in higher education in India.
According to the information, since its formation till March 2023, the Foundation has sanctioned a grant-in-aid of Rs.221.64 crore to 1673 NGOs for various educational initiatives. Till March 2022, it has also sanctioned Scholarships amounting to nearly Rs.884.87 crore to 12,88,954 girls. The Foundation also provides a Grant in Aid to NGOs Scheme for the infrastructure development of institutions run by NGOs in the education field. The Gharib Nawaz, Employment Scheme provides quality skill training to minority dropout students. For the year 2023-24, the budget outlay was 155.92 crore.
The foundation through the ‘Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship Scheme provided support to meritorious minority girls students; however, the scheme has been subsumed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The Foundation informed that it has been conducting an evaluation study of Schemes through independent agencies to ensure transparency.
