When I first heard about the scrapping of the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, one of India's flagship educational programs for minorities that was made on the recommendation of the Sachar committee, I was shocked. I couldn't believe my senses and I remember wondering how the union minister for minority affairs Smriti Irani decided to take such a drastic step. A woman herself, it was shocking to watch her remain aloof to the needs of women across sectors like education and employment, especially marginalized and minority women. I say this since the latest move by the ministry to cancel the program will have a direct impact on Muslim women's education and comes in the wake of already existing protests and mounting criticism against the hijab ban that many educational institutions now want to impose in parts of India.