Muslims in India are even more disadvantaged than low-caste Hindus, a report commissioned by the government in Delhi suggests, reports BBC Online Friday.
The report says Indias 138 million Muslims are poorer and less educated and suffer from higher unemployment and greater mortality than other religious groups.
Details of the report – yet to be published – have been leaked to the local media.
Some ministers are already calling for affirmative (positive) action for Muslims.
The Hindu-nationalist BJP party has said it will oppose any system of quotas for Muslims. BJP General Secretary Arun Jaitley said the Indian constitution does not allow for reservation on the basis of religion and the government should not use the report as a launch pad for religion-based reservation.
India currently implements reservations for disadvantaged castes, but not for religious groups.
India prides itself on being a pluralistic secular democracy. It is often pointed out that India is home to the worlds biggest minority, and that there are more Muslims in India than in all of Pakistan,
