Lok Sabha Question No. 4066 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-12
Subject: Minority Welfare Schemes in Rural Areas
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Gautham Sigamani Pon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4066 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2019

## Minority Welfare Schemes in Rural Areas

## 4066. SHRI GAUTAM SIGAMAANI PON:

## Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)    the  details  of  ongoing  minority  welfare  schemes  being  implemented  by  the Government in the rural areas of the country at present;
- (b)     the details of workshops organized in the rural areas;
- (c)     the steps taken by the Government to promote the present schemes; and
- (d)      the  details  of  beneficiaries,  funds  allocated  and  spent  under  various  schemes during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year,  State-wise  including Tamil Nadu?

## ANSWER

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

- (a):  This  Ministry  is  implementing  the  following  schemes  /  programmes  for  the welfare of six centrally notified minority communities, namely, Buddhists, Christians,  Jains,  Muslims,  Sikhs  and  Parsis  in  the  country,  including  the  rural areas of the country:-
- (1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme - For Class I to X.
- (2) Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme - For Class XI to Ph.D.
- (3) Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme  -  For Professional and Technical Courses.
- (4) Maulana Azad National Fellowship - For M.Phil. and Ph.D.
- (5)      Free  Coaching  and  Allied  Scheme  (Naya  Savera)  -  For  Competitive Examination of  Professional Courses and Government Jobs.
- (6)        'Padho  Pardesh'-  Scheme  of  Interest  Subsidy  on  Educational  Loans     for Overseas studies.
- (7)     Nai Udaan - Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC), etc.
- (8) Hamari  Dharohar  -  A  scheme  to  preserve  rich  heritage of minority communities under   the overall concept of Indian Culture.
- (9)        Jiyo  Parsi  -  Scheme  for  containing  population  decline  of  small  minority community.
- (10)    Nai Roshni-Leadership Development of Minority Women.
- (11)    Skill Development Initiatives - Seekho Aur Kamao.
- (12)    Nai  Manzil  -  A  scheme  for  formal  school  education  &  skilling  of  school dropouts.
- (13) USTTAD  (Upgrading  the  Skills  and  Training  in  Traditional  Arts/Crafts  for Development).
- (14)    Grants-in-Aid to Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) for implementation of education and skill related schemes:-
- (a) Begum  Hazrat  Mahal  National  Scholarship  for  Meritorious Girls belonging to the Minorities.
- (b) Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Training for providing short-term job oriented  skill  development  courses  to  youths  belonging  to  minority communities.
- (c) Bridge  Course  for  madarsa  students  &  school  dropouts  by  Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh and Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi under Nai Manzil scheme (implemented through MAEF).
- (d) Swachh Vidyalaya Initiative.
- (15)  Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for  providing  concessional  loans  to  minorities  for  self-  employment  and income generating activities through State Channelizing Agencies.
- (16) Besides the above, an Area Development Programme called Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), earlier known as Multi-sectoral Development Programme  (MsDP),  is  implemented  in  identified  Minority  Concentration District  Headquarters,  Minority  Concentration  Blocks,  Minority  Concentration Towns & Clusters of Contiguous Villages which are relatively backward.

The details of the ongoing schemes / programmes at serial No. (1) to (13) and (16) are available on the website of this Ministry www.minorityaffairs.gov.in), details of the scheme  at  serial No. (14) are available  on  the  website  of  MAEF (www.maef.nic.in)  and  that  of  at  serial  No.  (15)  are  available  on  the  website  of NMDFC (www.nmdfc.org).

(b):  Total number of 444 workshops / seminars / conferences have been approved during 2018-19 for organizing them all over the country, including rural areas, under the scheme of Research / Studies, Monitoring and Evaluation of Development schemes including Publicity of the Ministry.

(c):   The Government has taken up multi-media campaign to spread awareness of welfare schemes meant for minorities through print and electronic media, All India Radio Network including FM Channels, and websites all over the country.  Pocket booklets and pamphlets on various schemes / programmes of the Ministry are published in Hindi, English, Urdu and other  regional  languages.  In  order  to  directly  reach  out  to  the  public  especially  minority communities and spread awareness among them, 'Progress Panchayats' are organized in various  places.  Regional  Coordination  &  Review  Conferences  are  also  held  with  State Governments from time to time where, inter-alia, information about the Ministry's schemes is  provided.  In  addition,  outdoor  publicity  is  also  being  done  by  organizing  'Hunar  Haat'. Hunar Haats have been organized at (i) India International Trade Fair 2016, 2017, 2018 & 2019, (ii) Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi in February 2017, February 2018 & January 2019, (iii) Puducherry in September, 2017 & October, 2018, (iv) Mumbai in January 2018 & December 2018, and (v) Prayagraj in September 2018 & November, 2019, (vi) Jaipur in Aug-Sept.  2019  and  Ahmedabad  in  December  2019  to  further  promote  traditional crafts/arts, generate employment and strengthen the market linkages of Minority artisans both  from  urban  and  rural  areas.  The  Ministry  also  supports  workshops  and  seminars organized by NGOs and State Organizations for creating awareness about its programmes and schemes in different part of the country.

(d):  The details of beneficiaries, fund allocated and spent under various schemes during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise including Tamil Nadu are available on the website of the Ministry at www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

*****