Finance
The Government implements various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser-privileged sections of the society. Ministry of Minority Affairs specifically implements various schemes for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities, across the country. The Schemes/ programmes implemented by the Ministry are as under:
1. Educational Empowerment Schemes
i. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme
ii. Post Matric Scholarship Scheme
iii. Merit-cum-Mean based Scholarship Scheme
The Scholarship Schemes are implemented through National Scholarship Portal (managed by NIC) which is a continuously evolving platform. Scholarship payments are done through Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under DBT mode so that benefit could reach to the genuine beneficiaries.
2. Employment and Economic Empowerment Schemes
- Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)
ii) National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC): It implements schemes of Term Loan, Micro Finance, Education Loan & Virasat Scheme for socio-economic development of “backward sections” among the notified minority communities by providing concessional loan for self-employment income generation ventures across the country. The schemes of NMDFC are implemented through State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) nominated by respective State Govt./ UT Administration, Punjab Gramin Bank and Canara Bank.
To monitor implementation of its schemes, NMDFC regularly conducts “beneficiary verification” and “impact assessment study” by engaging independent third-party organizations/agencies to assess the proper utilization & impact of NMDFC financing on the target groups across the country. NMDFC officials also visit different States/UTs for beneficiary interaction.
3. Infrastructure Development Scheme
i) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) : “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram” (PMJVK) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and one of the flagship program of the Ministry for creation of community infrastructure in the Minority Concentration Areas of the country in the sectors viz. Education, Health, Skill Development, Women Centric Projects, Drinking Water and Supply, Sanitation and Sports. The aim of the scheme also includes to boost the social and economic conditions of the Minority Communities of that particular areas.
The projects under PMJVK are considered and approved on the basis of the requests received from the respective State Governments/UT Administration. The formulation of the project proposal submission thereof to the Ministry; execution of the approved projects and operation & maintenance of the completed projects is the responsibility of the respective State Governments/UT Administration.
National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a statutory body under the Ministry was established under the NCM Act, 1992. As part of its function, it receives petitions of minorities and takes them up with the appropriate authorities/ State Governments for necessary action. Further, to promote communal harmony, Hon’ble Chairman and Members of the NCM hold regular meetings with the representatives of the minority communities. Moreover, NCM conducts ‘Sarv Dharam Samvad with representatives of minority communities to discuss issues faced by the communities and promote communal harmony.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has been implementing various skilling and education schemes for socio-economic development of minorities to make them employment ready.
Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a flagship Scheme of MoMA which converges five erstwhile schemes and focuses on upliftment of minorities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership of minority women; and education support for school dropouts.
Prior to PM VIKAS, the Ministry provided skill training to youth from minority communities to increase employment and livelihood opportunities under the ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, and ‘USTTAD’ schemes, which have now been converged into the PM VIKAS scheme. No new targets were allocated under the said erstwhile schemes after 2020-21.
A brief of these schemes along with achievements made therein is as under:
i) Seekho aur Kamao (SAK) scheme, started in 2013-14, targeted to upgrade the skills of minority youth (14-45 years) in various modern/ traditional skills depending upon their qualification, prevailing economic trends, and market potential, that could earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to take up self-employment. Since inception, about 4.68 lakh beneficiaries have been trainedunder the scheme.
ii) Nai Manzil scheme started in 2015, and was implemented with an objective to benefit the minority youth who do not have formal school leaving certificate. The scheme provided a combination of formal education (Class VIII or X) and skills and enabled the beneficiaries to seek better employment and livelihoods. Since inception, 98,712 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.
iii) USTTAD and Hamari Dharoharscheme started in 2015 for targeted capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills of master craftsmen/ artisans. Since inception, about 21,611 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.
iv) Nai Roshni, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women was launched in 2012-13 with an objective to empower and instill confidence among minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.Since inception, over 4.35 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.
Ministry engaged institutions of national repute namely, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to work in various craft clusters for design intervention, product range development, packaging, exhibitions and brand building etc.
Ministry initiatives like Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv aim at creating awareness about the schemes and providing opportunities to upliftminority traditional artisans through showcasing and marketing their products. Since 2015 to till date, 43 such events have been organised by the Ministry across the country.
Further details of schemes are available on the website of the Ministry i.e www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Source: PIB
