Mumbai: Raising the issue of Muslim youth excluded from Govt’s AMRUT Institute schemes, Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh from Bhiwandi East has said that applications for the institute’s Drone Pilot Training Programme, run under the state govt’s Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department, are being accepted only from Hindu candidates, while applications from Muslim candidates are not being accepted through the online portal.In his letter to minister Atul Save and the chief executive officer of the Maharashtra Research, Advancement and Training (AMRUT) Institute, Shaikh said that the AMRUT Institute has invited applications until June 30 for Drone Pilot Training aimed at candidates from the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the Open Category. “However, when applicants attempt to fill out the online form, they are required to provide information about their religion and caste. The portal offers caste options only for Hindu communities, preventing Muslim applicants from successfully submitting their applications,” Shaikh said.Shaikh stated that he has received numerous complaints regarding this issue. Pointing out that the AMRUT Institute is intended to serve economically weaker sections within the Open Category, he said as an autonomous govt institution, AMRUT’s founding Aug 2019 Govt Resolution (GR) does not mention any specific religion. Its objective is to work for various communities within the Open Category. Therefore, restricting applications in this manner is contrary to the rules, he claimed.The state govt has established several institutions for different social groups, including BARTI, ARTI, SARTHI, Mahajyoti, MARTI and AMRUT. While each institution may focus on a particular target group, they also extend training opportunities and benefits to other communities to some extent.Shaikh said unemployment is currently a major concern for young people from all castes and religions across the state. “AMRUT should not interpret the rules in a way that deprives Muslim youth of skill-development opportunities,” Shaikh said. “Minister Atul Save, who heads the Other Backward Bahujan Welfare Department, must ensure that Muslim youth are not excluded from these training programmes,” Shaikh demanded.
