Lok Sabha Question No. 255 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-12
Subject: Conference of Minority Community
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: BHEEMRAO BASWANTHRAO PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 255 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2018

## Conference of Minority Community

## 255. SHRI   BHEEMRAO  B.  PATIL:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether any conference is held at National/State level with the representative groups of minority communities with a view to elicit their view points on the emerging needs of their communities;
- (b) if so, whether any such interaction is in place for holding discussions with them periodically;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): With a view to enhance opportunities for education; ensure an equitable share for  minorities  in  economic  activities  &  employment  through  existing  and  new  schemes; enhanced credit support for self-employment and recruitment to State and Central Government  jobs,  the  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  has  implemented  various  schemes  / initiatives  for  the  welfare  of  the  six  notified  minority  communities,  namely,  Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis.  In order to review the performance of these schemes  and  make  it  more  effective,  discussions  are  held  with  the  stakeholders  on  a continuous basis.  Ministry  of Minority Affairs  has initiated coordination, cooperation and communication by holding of various Conferences / Meetings at the National / State level with  the  various  stakeholders.    During  the  current  year,  following  events  have  been  held wherein schemes of Ministry of Minority Affairs were discussed:-

- (i) Zonal Co-ordination Meeting at Lucknow on 18.01.2018.
- (ii) National Conference on 16.07.2018 at New Delhi.
- (iii) Zonal Conference Meeting held at Guwahati on 4 th & 5 th October 2018.

In order to directly reach out to the public, especially minority communities, 'Progress Panchayats' are also organized periodically at various places in the country to establish direct communication with deprived  sections  of  the society,  particularly minorities,  and  generate awareness about Government's welfare and empowerment schemes for them. Various meetings  with  representatives  of  six  notified  minority  communities  and  Anglo  Indian Community were held from time to time.

Under  Social  Safeguard  component  of  Nai  Manzil  Scheme  of  this  Ministry,  eight State  Level  Consultation  Meetings  were  held  in  March,  2018,  in  Assam,  Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,  Jammu  &  Kashmir,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Rajasthan,  Manipur  &  Gujarat  for  the development  of  Indigenous  People's  Policy  Framework  (IPPF).    The  representatives  from Minority  Communities,  State  Social  Welfare,  Tribal  Affairs  &  Other  Govt.  Departments participated in these meetings. The aim was to get feedback and to communicate & spread the message to the tribal communities and other vulnerable groups (like the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes) who may be from minority communities so that  they  also  benefit  from  the  scheme.    It  was  one  time  activity  to  create  awareness  & sensitize the community about the Nai Manzil Scheme.