The opportunity costs involved in sending children to schools is also too high, making it difficult for parents to do so. Moreover, a community-specific factor for low educational achievement is that Muslims do not see education as necessarily translating into formal employment. The low representation of Muslims in public or private sector employment and the perception of discrimination in securing salaried jobs make them attach less importance to formal ‘secular’ education in comparison to other socio-religious communities. At the same time the Community, especially the educated Muslim middle class, finds itself frustrated and alienated because of the lack of presence and opportunities in administrative, policy and political spaces. Many complained that only a few good quality schools, especially Government schools, are found in Muslim areas. The teacher pupil ratio is also high in these schools. This forces Muslim children to go to private schools, if they can afford to, or else to drop out. Schools the primary level are few in Muslim localities. Exclusive girl schools are fewer, and are usually at a distance from Muslim localities.

Some argued that there is a need for the State to fulfill its commitment of providing primary education in the mother tongue of students. There is low enrolment and retention of Muslim women in education. On the other hand, the committee finds (page 19) that there is a strong desire and enthusiasm for education among Muslim women and girls across the board. It finds that the poor representation of Muslims in the employment market was highlighted over and over again across all states (page 20). Concerns about the poor representation of Muslims in the police force were repeatedly expressed in various meetings. While Muslim representation at the highest level was miniscule, even at the level of the constabulary Muslim representation was reported to be very low (p. 21).

Muslim presence in the private sector was found to be even more dismal. It was felt that the private sector needed to be sensitized to this issue so that it would include Muslims in their recruitment through positive discrimination and affirmative action. Muslims did well in Business Process Outsourcing sector where proficiency in the English language was the main objective criteria. Liberalization has also resulted negatively for the workers of the unorganized sector of the economy, causing unemployment and displacement of workers. Muslims, by and large are engaged in the unorganized sector which rarely enjoys protection of any kind. They are silk and sericulture, hand and power looms, the leather industry, automobile repairing, garment making industries. Muslim women are overwhelmingly self-employed (engaged in home-based work). Sewing, embroidery, zari work, chikan work, readymade garments, agarbatti rolling, beedi rolling, are some of the occupations in which Muslim women workers are concentrated. Their work conditions are characterized by low income, poor work conditions, absence of toilet and crèche facilities, lack of social security benefits like health insurance and the absence of bargaining power.