India is home to about 213 million Muslims, the third largest Muslim population in the world. Over 11% of Muslims in the world live in India. They constitute 14.2% of the country’s population. It is a national loss that such a sizeable section of society suffers from severe marginalisation, excessive exclusion, and deep deprivation.
In no sphere of social and economic life, including education, are they represented in the ratio of their population. In higher education, for example, Muslims account for just about 5.5% of total enrollment as well as faculty.
Muslims constitute around 72% of the religious minorities in India, but account for only 22.75% of minority educational institutions. In absolute terms, the number of educational institutions established, run, managed and maintained by the Muslim community would be substantially large. A statement, in 2019, by the Minister of Minority Affairs claimed that 13,000 educational institutions were granted minority status.
