Lalu green signal: Madrassa degrees valid for rly jobs

Move seen as part of his strategy to woo Muslim voters ahead of polls Patna: The Indian Railways has decided to accept madrassa degrees as valid for its job requirements, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav said on Sunday. “Now, students of madrassas, like any educational institution, will be able to apply for jobs in the Railways,” he said. “All the necessary official formalities in this regard will be finalised soon by the Railways,” he said. The move is seen as part of his political strategy ahead of the parliamentary elections to woo Muslim voters. Early this year, he had promised to increase the percentage of Muslim employees in the Railways. But the report of a review meeting of the group of secretaries of the Central government last month found the Railways were still lagging in recruiting Muslims. Last year, acting on... [read full story]