KOCHI: The High Court has ordered that the minority education and welfare schemes should be distributed in proportion to the population. A division bench headed by Chief Justice S Manikumar quashed the state government’s order setting aside 80 per cent for Muslims and 20 per cent for other minorities.
From 2008 to 2015, the government had issued three orders. Of these, 80 per cent of the orders, including in 2015, were to be given to the Muslim community.
A PIL was filed on the ground that it was illegal. According to the 2011 census, 45.27 per cent are minorities. Of these, 58.61 per cent are Muslims. 40.6 percent are Christians. Other minorities make up 0.73 per cent. The court ruled that the 80:20 ratio was not justified.
The court ordered that scholarships be awarded on the basis of population. The court also directed the state to issue a new order in this regard.
