75% students in Christian institutions are non-Christians: Derek' O Brien in Chennai
Talking at a conference in Loyola College, O' Brien escribed this statistic as a testament to values of equality upheld by Christian institutions
Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien attended a two-day international conference on higher education at Loyola College, Chennai. The event brought together academics, scholars, and policymakers to discuss excellence, equity, and sustainability in India’s education system.
During his address, O’Brien emphasized the inclusivity of Christian educational institutions in India. He pointed out that although these institutions are faith-based, a significant majority of their students, at least 75 per cent come from non-Christian communities.
“Students who go to a school or a college or a professional institute, run by – there are 54,000 of them – for every 100 students who go there, approximately 75 out of the 100 belong to the Hindu, the Muslim, the Sikh, the Buddhist communities,” he stated.
O’Brien described this statistic as a testament to the values of equality and accessibility upheld by Christian institutions.
“To me, this is a powerful statistic. Somewhere between 75 per cent, if you do a calculation, you may get 73 per cent or 75 per cent of the boys and girls who are going there.”
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Education reforms
Apart from delivering his speech, O’Brien engaged with students and faculty members, discussing the challenges and opportunities in India’s higher education landscape. His discussions touched upon education reforms, affordability, and institutional accessibility.
In a symbolic gesture, he distributed professor Stan Swamy T-shirts to students who actively participated in the discussions.
Later, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also joined the conference and addressed the gathering. Her session further delved into policy perspectives on education, equity, and institutional independence.
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