NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday called for giving greater opportunities in education and professional training to Muslim girls, saying the main reason for socio-backwardness of the Muslim community was their lack of access to the common school system.

“The main factor responsible for socio-economic backwardness of the minority communities is the lack of access to the common school system,” he said in his annual address to the State Minorities Commissions.

“We must ensure concrete schemes are set up of secondary and higher secondary schools in the block and district having predominantly Muslim population are implemented with a sharper focus on the needs of the Muslim girls,” he added.