Minister seeks Catholic support in advancement of education

Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal was all praises for the Catholic clergy in the country for their contribution in the field of education.

"We salute you for making quality education accessible to the poor and marginalized. We want more people like you," the federal minister on Sept. 28 said, according to the UCA News.

Sibal was Sunday addressing the triennial national assembly of the Conference of Religious India (CRI). CRI represents more than 125,000 Catholic priests and nuns in the country.

At the five-day event participated by more than 550 major superiors of about 360 Catholic religious orders, Sibal urged the Catholics to partner with the government in bringing "expansion, inclusion and excellence" of education.

Education, according to him, is capable of bringing harmony to the country, especially when it can reach women and people from low caste and tribal communities.

India's literacy rate has increased from 14 percent in 1947 when it won independence to 64 percent in 2001. However, the actual number of illiterate people is now more than the population was in 1947 and India has more illiterate people than the total population of the United States, Sibal was quoted saying.

Sibal, meanwhile, also promised to include a clause in the recently introduced education policy that will ensure the rights of religious minority groups to manage educational institutions.