Implementation Of Prime Minister’s 15 Point Programme By Minister Of Minorty Affairs

The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities (PM’s New 15 PP) is an overarching programme covering various schemes/initiatives of the participating Ministries/Departments, and  is implemented throughout the country.  The said Programme also provides that, wherever possible, 15% of targets and outlays under various schemes should be earmarked for minorities. The performance of schemes/initiatives of Ministries / Departments included in the PM’s New 15 PP, is evaluated by the concerned Ministry/ Department and is a continuous process.  The schemes of Ministry of Minority Affairs meant exclusively for the centrally notified minority communities viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains are also evaluated from time to time.

The Ministry implements various welfare schemes for minority communities across the country including Jammu and Kashmir, as per the guidelines of the respective scheme.

This was stated by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES

To another question, the Minister stated that the Ministry of Minority Affairs has adopted a multi-pronged strategy by way of implementation of various schemes which aim at educational empowerment, employment-oriented skill development, infrastructure support, etc. for the upliftment of living standards of the six centrally notified minorities (Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains).  Details of these schemes are as under:

1. Educational Empowerment:

1. Scholarship Schemes - Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship. Since 2014-15,  3.74 crore scholarships have been provided.

2. Naya Savera - Free Coaching and Allied Scheme with the aim to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates from minority communities to get employment in Government Sector/ Public Sector Undertakings, jobs in private sector and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels.
3. Nai Udaan - a scheme for providing support to minority candidates clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission,  State Public Service Commissions etc.,  to adequately equip them to compete for appointment to Civil Services in the Union and the States.
4. Padho Pardes - A scheme for providing interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies to enable students from minority communities to pursue higher education.
5. Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities, to pursue higher education such as M. Phil and Ph. D.
6. In addition, the Maulana  Azad Education Foundation implements the following two schemes:

• 1. Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for meritorious girls belonging to minorities from class IX to XII.
  2. Gharib Nawaz Employment Programme.

(B)      Economic Empowerment:

9. Employment-oriented Skill Development: programme

• 1. Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): It is a skill development initiative for minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment.
  2. Upgrading Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD) - The scheme aims at capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills of master craftsmen and artisans; documentation of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards of traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; develop national and international market linkages; and preservation of languishing Arts/Crafts. Hunar Haats are organized in various parts of the country, which provides direct and indirect employment to skilled artisans and craft persons.
  3. Nai Manzil - A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.

(ii) National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemes which provide concessional loans for self-employment and income generating activities for the socio- economic development of the backward sections amongst the notified minorities.

(iii) Priority Sector Lending by Banks.

(C)    Infrastructure Support:

Besides, there is another Scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), which aims at improving the socio-economic conditions of minorities and providing basic amenities so as to improve their quality of life and reduce imbalances in the identified Minority Concentration Areas.  The major projects approved under the Education Sector and for Skill Development, include Residential Schools, School buildings, Hostels, Degree Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, Sadbhav Mandaps, Health Centers, Working Women Hostels etc.  80% of the resources under the scheme are earmarked for projects related to Education, Health and Skill Development.  Further 33 to 40% of resources are allocated for women centric projects.

The Minister also stated that Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) an autonomous body under the administrative control of this Ministry, in its 52nd Meeting held on 29.12.2016, had constituted a committee to go into the modalities for establishment of institutions in different parts of the country with a view to facilitate educational empowerment of minorities especially girls.

The Committee has submitted its report and has recommended for three tier model of   educational institutions for minorities having:

(i)  211 Central Schools at the bottom.

(ii)  25 Community Colleges at the middle; and

(iii)  05 National Institutes at the top level.

The said committee has submitted its report on 06.07.2017 to the General Body of MAEF, which has adopted the said report. Upon the recommendation of the said committee, on request of MAEF, the Government of Rajasthan,  has allotted 15 acre land at Village Kohrapipli, Tehsil - Kishangarhbas, District - Alwar for setting up a National Institute of eminence.