Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that there is a great need to pay more attention to the education of minorities and underclass pupils.

While addressing a meeting of the Planning Commission, Manmohan Singh said, “Special attention would need to be paid to districts with Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority concentration.”

Mr. Singh emphasized that the recommendations of the Sachar Committee need to be measured sincerely while planning for this programme.

The Sachar Committee has suggested various steps for the up-gradation of education of Muslims in the country.

In November 2006, the committee report was tabled in parliament. It revealed appalling details regarding the poor social, financial and instructive position of the Muslims. It originate that the Muslims' literacy rate in the country was under the national standard of 64.8 percent and the educational chances for them were impoverished as compared to others in the state.

"To kick start the initiative, the proposal for setting up 6,000 high quality model schools with costs to be shared by the Centre and the States needs to be finalised within the next few weeks," Mr. Singh said at the meeting at the Planning Commission.

He also stated that the administration is setting out an objective of universalizing secondary education.

"This is clearly the next step after universalising elementary education. While the goal is laudable, much work needs to be done before we are in a position to launch the Scheme for Universalisation of Access for Secondary Education (SUCCESS),” he added.