Lok Sabha Question No. 2231 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-04
Subject: Scholarships for Minority Students
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Imtiaz Jaleel Syed, Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2231 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.07.2019

## Scholarships for Minority Students

## 2231. SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL: SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS   be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  has  announced  scholarships  for  5  crore  students from minority community during the next five years and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the criteria fixed for giving such scholarships;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  focused  on  girl  students  who  have  dropped  out of  Madrassas  and  main  stream  schools  by  providing  them  bridge  courses  and  if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the plan chalked out for Madrassa teachers for awarding them qualitytraining in madrassas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a)&  (b)  Yes,  Sir.  The  government  during  the  last  five  years  has  provided  3.18 crores  scholarships  to  students  from  amongst  the  six  centrally  notified  Minorities namely,  Jain,  Buddhist,  Sikh,  Parsi,  Muslim  and  Christian.  Out  of  these,  girls constitute  more  than  50%  of  the  beneficiaries.  During  the  next  five  years,  the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) proposes to provide Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and  Merit-cum-Means  scholarships  to  five  crore  economically  Weaker-section students  from  the  six  centrally  notified  Minority  communities.  This  will  include more  than  50%  of  girl  students.  The  three  scholarship  schemes  are  now  being implemented through the National Scholarship Portal and since 2015, the scholarships  schemes  are  being  implemented  under  direct  benefit  transfer  (DBT) mode to improve the efficiency and bring transparency by removing duplicity and stopping pilferages.

|           | Total Population of Minorities   | Pre Matric   | Post Matric   | Merit cum Means   | Total Beneficiaries   | Proportionate beneficiaries out of Minorities population   |
|-----------|----------------------------------|--------------|---------------|-------------------|-----------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
|           |                                  | Ben(No.)     | Ben(No.)      | Ben(No.)          |                       |                                                            |
| Muslim    | 172245158                        | 20974526     | 2645897       | 451864            | 24072287              | 13.98                                                      |
| Christian | 27819588                         | 3193073      | 396388        | 95175             | 3684636               | 13.24                                                      |
| Sikh      | 20833116                         | 2130441      | 344440        | 42286             | 2517167               | 12.08                                                      |
| Buddhist  | 8442972                          | 759126       | 20464         | 2549              | 782139                | 9.26                                                       |
| Jain      | 4451753                          | 282410       | 76243         | 20791             | 379444                | 8.52                                                       |
| Parsi     | 57264                            | 3283         | 457           | 53                | 3793                  | 6.62                                                       |
| TOTAL     | 233849851                        | 27342859     | 3483889       | 612718            | 31439466              |                                                            |

(c)   From the year 2017-18, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF), an autonomous  organisation  under  the  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs,in  its  scheme Begum  Hazrat  Mahal  Scholarship  for  Meritorious  Girls  decided  to  extend  the scholarships to economically weaker minority girl studentsfrom all the six centrally notified Minority communitiesstudying in classes 9th and 10 th , besides classes 11 th and 12 th and to girls, who have passed same level of exam from recognized Madarsa also.  Also,  this  Ministry  is  providing  financial  assistance  to  Jamia  Millia  Islamia Delhi & Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh for running Bridge course for Madarsa students as well as school dropouts under the pilot project of Nai Manzil.  Bridge course is being provided to Madarsa students/dropouts for helping them to continue mainstream  education.  After  completion  of  the  bridge  course,  these  students become eligible for admission in various regular courses of Universities at graduate level.

(d)    To  narrow  down  the  gap  between  mainstream  school  education  and  the Madarsa school system, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) is implementing an Umbrella Scheme for Providing Education to Madarsas/Minorities (SPEMM), which comprises two Schemes namely Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarsas (SPQEM) & Infrastructure Development in  Minority  Institutions  (IDMIs).  These  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes  are  being implemented at National level & are voluntary in nature.

The  objective  of SPQEM  is  to  encourage  traditional  institutions like Madarsas  and  Maktabs  by  giving  financial  assistance to introduce Science, Mathematics,  Social  Studies,  Hindi  and  English  in  their  curriculum;  to  provide opportunities  to  students  of  these  institutions  to  acquire  education  comparable  to the  National  Education  System  especially  for  secondary  and  senior  secondary levels; to strengthen State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance and to provide for in-service  training  of  teachers  appointed  under  the  scheme,  for  teaching  modern subjects of Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Hindi, and English.

The objective of IDMI is to facilitate education of minorities by augmenting and strengthening school infrastructure in Minority Institutions (Elementary/Secondary/Senior  Secondary  Schools)and  to  encourage  educational facilities for girls, children with special needs.

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