Centre defends decision to dissolve Maulana Azad Education Foundation
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New Delhi: The Central government has justified its move to dissolve the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), stating that its ongoing operation is "obsolete."
Responding to a petition challenging the order instructing MAEF's closure, the government argued that the foundation which created to aid students from educationally backward minorities, became redundant with the establishment of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The government clarified that MAEF was established when there was no dedicated ministry, and with the current existence of such a ministry efficiently executing initiatives for minority communities, the continued operation of MAEF is deemed obsolete. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma informed the Delhi High Court about the government's stance.
Sharma highlighted that the foundation's projects and initiatives have been incorporated into or replaced by comparable schemes of the ministry. He emphasized that the petitioners cannot dictate policy issues to the executive and that the decision for dissolution adhered to legal protocols.
According to Sharma, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has introduced schemes worth thousands of crores for education, skill development, and infrastructure for minorities, with many projects initiated by MAEF still incomplete. He noted that the ministry undertook 75,000 projects and conducted a gap analysis, revealing various irregularities in the foundation's projects.
The decision to dissolve MAEF was unanimous, reached by 12 out of 15 members in strict adherence to legal protocols, Sharma added. The high court had issued an interim order on March 7, directing authorities not to act on their decision until the next hearing.
Petitioners, including Dr. Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, Dr. John Dayal, and Daya Singh, had approached the high court against the ministry's February 7 order instructing MAEF's closure. The ministry's decision was based on a proposal from the Central Waqf Council received on January 21. The petitioners argued that the order is without jurisdiction, arbitrary, malafide, and a colorable exercise of authority, affecting deserving students and organizations associated with MAEF.
The court will continue hearing the matter on Wednesday.