The Commission has considered the views and suggestions expressed by various stakeholders, and haver recommended certain amendments to the NCMEI Act. It is accordingly proposed to carry out some of the amendments through the present legislation. In Section 2 of the Bill, two amendments are proposed in clause. First is to do away with the exclusion of Universities in the definition of Minority Educational Institutions. The second proposal is to substitute the words or maintained by with the words and administered  by. The existing exclusion of a University from the definition of a minority educational institution runs counter to the law laid down by the Supreme Court of India vide Azeeza Basha V. Union of India (A.I.R. 1968) substitution of words or maintained by with the words and administered by Several complaints were received to the effect that non-minorities were advertising the institutes as established by the minorities. Through this amendment this defect is sought to be removed by providing that the institutions should be both established and administered by a person or group of persons belonging to the same minorities. This will also conform to the language used in Article 30 of the Constitution. The NCMEI Act, as at present, has amplified the functions of the Commission manifold, as compared to the original Act, under which the strength of the Commission was fixed at two Members besides the Chairman. The number of cases registered with the NCMEI has been showing an upward trend. Apart from the increasing number of matters, the complex nature of issues brought before it, also calls for strengthening of the Commission. To meet the expectations of the minority communities who look upon the Commission as the forum for redressal of their grievances, it is proposed that Section of the Act be amended to increase the existing number of Members of the Commission, other than the Chairperson, from the existing two to three. Constitution gives the Minorities unrestricted power to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice. And, as we know, most of these plantations are still foreign-owned establishments, last vestiges of the colonial rule, The British rule, and as I said, it is a matter of deep regret for all of us that despite enacting an act, the plantations labout act, 2021 we have not yet been able to effect any improvement in their conditions.
