Functionaries & Members: The ERDF has formed a Co-ordination Committee for smooth functioning of its Minority Cell. The functionaries and members of the Cell are as follows:

Educational Initiatives: The ERDF has taken many initiatives for educational development of the region and particularly for the minority communities. It has opened two CBSE schools, one Junior College and one Career Guidance Cell in minority concentrated border district of Karimganj, whose major beneficiaries are the educationally excluded Muslims of the area. In further plans to start such educational ventures in other areas of minority concentrated population.

Welfare Activities done & to be done in future: As part of its welfare activities it provides Interest Free Loans to its employees, Micro Finance to unemployed youths for entrepreneurial development, Medical Assistance for treatment and operations of the poor, provide Reliefs on calamities or natural disasters, etc. Its future plans include:

1. Establishment of Girls’ Hostels and Working Women’s Hostels for Muslims in the state and district headquarters.
2. Create awareness to get Minority Status Certificate from NCMEI and Implementation of Prime Minister’s 15 point Programme for the development of Muslims.
3. Establishment of residential schools, polytechnics and colleges for girls in the minority concentrated areas, in each district.
4. Establishment of Vocational Training Centres in the minority concentrated areas, to make them equipped to earn a dignified livelihood.
5. Counselling and Awareness generation through campaigns among the minority girls / parents / community and religious leaders, so that they can come out of various social evils, like illiteracy, unemployment, child marriage, child labour, etc. and to develop interest for girls’ education and empowerment.

Facilities at ERDF Group of Institutions for Minority Students : The ERD Foundation in all its institutions is striving to provide opportunity for more enrollments for minority students. The Foundation is also decided to streamline the entire education system in all parts of NE India with the association/collaboration of other like-minded minority organizations working on education & initiatives are already taken in this line.

Seminars & workshops conducted: The ERDF organizes workshops, seminars and awareness programmes on issues relating to minority communities.. Its regional conference on Empowerment of Minority Women through Education held at Guwahati in 2010, was graced by Justice MSA Siddiquei, Chairman, National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, GoI, as Chief Guest, besides many more national and regional dignitaries. It proposes to organize many more such seminars and workshops in coming times.

Collaborations: The Minority Cell has collaborations with different organizations for different purposes. The National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions, Ministry of HRD, Govt of India, on observing the perseverance and hard work in the field of education, ensuing success and recognizing his selfless efforts, has nominated Mr Mahbubul Hoque (Chairman of ERDF) as its Coordinator for the state of Assam, to look after educational issues of the minority communities of the state, on behalf of the commission.

Women’s Empowerment: On empowerment of women the ERDF has taken up many initiatives, like reserving 30% of seats in all its educational institutions for girls students, representing all the deprived communities of the region (including the Muslim girls), etc. It has also created Khairun Nessa Memorial Women’s Endowment Fund for the poor women.

Scholarships & other Financial Aids: The ERDF provides scholarships to meritorious Muslims, namely

• Prof. Qoumrul Hoque Memorial Scholarships,
• Financial assistance to meritorious and poor students in institutes under it,
• Merit cum Means Scholarship,
• Free-ships,
• A scheme for students of very poor (BPL) families, sponsoring the complete education of such meritorious students,
• Free coaching and guidance to minority students for higher education and for employment, etc. The grants range from token cash award, free admissions, provision for text books, hostel facilities, etc. It also guides and facilitates the minority students to get numbers of national scholarships.

Mr. B.I. Laskar, Coordinator, Minority Cell