Alwar Oct 1 (IANS) Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday laid foundation stone for Rs 1 000-crore first world-class educational institute and hoped it will start functioning in two years.
"The first world-class educational institute in Alwar will prove to be a milestone for affordable accessible and quality education to the poor and weaker sections including minorities " Naqvi said at a function organized in Alwar to mark the commencement of work on the project.
Noting that the institute will help the poor sections to enroll the minister said India has many universities colleges but the "weaker sections are unable" to enter these institutions due to financial burden.
"We have proposed 40 per cent reservation for girls in this institute " the minister said adding it would start functioning in 2020.
Naqvi said because of Prime Minister Modi s educational empowerment programmes the school dropout rate among Muslim girls which was earlier more than 70 per cent has now come down to about 35-40 per cent.
According to the ministry a three-member committee of the ministry and members of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation have been formed to chalk out the entire process of the institute.
The research centre will provide education in technical medical ayurveda Unani and job-oriented skiletter campaign on Monday here ahead of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi by approaching students from 150 schools and asking them to write a change idea on a postcard they want to see done.

LetterFarms an NGO aims to collect over a million such changes from youngsters around India over the next one year. It will then cull out the list to 150 changes and present them to chief ministers governors and Prime Minister on October 2 2019.
"CHANGE150 debuted today in the national capital region with students from 150 schools writing their change ideas on postcards " read a statement from the organisation.
It said that the initiative was supported by a seven city schools associations.
"Gandhiji s change mantra is timeless and CHANGE150 is a timely change hunt among the youth to identify 150 most compelling change ideas from across the country " said Saji Mathew Co-founder of LetterFarms.
-- IANS
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