Continuing with its name-changing spree, particularly of schemes, institutions, and districts named after Dalit icons of the Bahujan Samaj Party, the Samajwadi Party government on Tuesday changed the name of Manyavar Shri Kanshi Ji Ram Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University.
Following a Cabinet decision, the university has now been named after Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer Sharif Dargah.
The Cabinet also approved the Kanya Vidya Dhan Scheme for girls, belonging to economically weaker sections, who have passed High School. On passing Intermediate (Class 12), the beneficiaries will be entitled to Rs. 30,000, as encouragement money for pursuing their education.
The Cabinet meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav.
The Arabi-Farsi University was established by the former Chief Minister, Mayawati, who had named it after BSP founder and mentor Kanshi Ram. Within hours of the name change, Ms. Mayawati criticised the decision and termed the move as “unjust,” “immoral,” and born out of mala fide intentions.
The BSP president recalled that Mr. Kanshi Ram was well-versed in Urdu and used to write his notes in that language. Ms. Mayawati said the university had been named after him in recognition of his contribution to the welfare of the deprived and underprivileged sections.
Stating that the Samajwadi Party government had committed a grave injustice to the legacy of the BSP founder, Ms. Mayawati claimed it was Mr. Kanshi Ram who helped Mulayam Singh become Chief Minister when he had been marginalised in 1993.
Under the Kanya Vidya Dhan Scheme, which was the flagship scheme of the SP government headed by Mulayam Singh, and has now been revived, only girls, whose families’ annual income doesn’t exceed Rs. 35,000, will be entitled to the benefit.
The scheme will be effective from 2012. Girls belonging to families living below the poverty line will be given priority. The beneficiaries will be selected by a seven-member committee headed by the district magistrate. The government has allocated Rs. 439.34 crore for the scheme in the current financial year.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to the National Optic Fibre Network Scheme, which will facilitate broadband connectivity in all the gram panchayats in the State. The broadband connectivity will be extended to rural schools and primary health centres. Apart from the facility of telecom service providers, the scheme will also facilitate voice, data and video transmission.