The Committee has come out with the details that it collected on its level from different sources. According to the estimates (based on 55th (1999-2000) and 61st Rounds (2004-05) of National Sample Survey Organisation and about 41 % of the Muslims identified themselves as Other Backward Castes in 2004-05; this proportion was 32 % in 1999-2000. Only 0.8 % Muslims reported themselves as Scheduled Castes; the share of the Muslims reporting themselves as Scheduled Tribes was even lower. It found that not more than 4 % of the Muslim students attend Madrasa education and most of their parents prefer modern education system. On the contrary, the report of the Committee mentions tragic scenes in the field of education and literacy.

The Committee visited 13 states across the country—Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Gujrat, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. It noted on its page 10 that the “non-implementation” of recommendations of several earlier commissions and committees has made the Muslim community wary of any new initiative. This was a serious noting on the part of the Committee too which requires urgent attention. It noted the problem of identity, security and ghettoisation of the Muslim community in the country. It is mentioned in page 15 that “(F)rom civic amenities in Muslim localities, non-representation in positions of political power and the bureaucracy, to police atrocities committed against them—the perception of being discriminated against its overpowering amongst a wide cross section of Muslims”. High dropout rates among Muslim students are worrisome. As with many Indians, the main reason for educational backwardness of Muslims is abject poverty. Due to which children are forced to drop out after the first few classes. This is particularly true for Muslim girls. Little children are expected to provide for their families by working in the karkhanas (small workshops), as domestic help or by looking after their siblings while their mothers go to work. It was felt that the incidence of child labour was higher among Muslims as compared to other socio-religious communities. Poor and illiterate parents cannot afford tuition for their children; nor can they provide the necessary support system at home which has become so essential a part of today’s educational system.