Lok Sabha Question No. 1669 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-28
Subject: Hunar Hubs
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Faizal P.P. Mohammed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1669 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.11.2019

## Hunar Hubs

## 1669. SHRI MOHAMMED FAIZAL P.P.:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning to establish 'Hunar Hubs' in every State in the next five years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether Hunar Hubs would help to train and encourage indigenous artisans and craftsmen and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the number of Hunar Hubs sanctioned till date?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a) to(c):  The  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  has  implemented  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan Vikas Karyakram(PMJVK)  earlier known  as Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, in 1300 identified Minority Concentration  Areas(MCA)  of  the  country  with  the  objective  of  developing socio-economic assets and basic amenities in these areas to bring them at par with other parts of the country.  The MCAs include 870 Minority Concentration Blocks,  321  Minority  Concentration  Towns  and  109  Minority  Concentration Districts Headquarters.  Thrust of the PMJVK is to allocate at least 80% of the resources in  education,  health  and  skill  development  sectors  of  which  at  least 33-40% to be allocated for women centric projects.  Construction of Hunar Hubs is  one  of  the  projects  considered  under  the  scheme  with  the  objective  of enablingartisans/entrepreneurs  to  carry  out  exhibitions/melas/food-courts/skill training under one roof in the identified MCD Hqrs.  Till date 04 Hunar Hubs

have been sanctioned by the Empowered Committee on the basis of proposals received  from  the  States  of  Kerala,  Maharashtra  and  Meghalaya.    Details  of these projects are available on the website of the Ministry at http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/empowered-committee-minutes

Ministry also has an ongoing scheme for Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional  Arts/  Crafts  for  Development  (USTTAD)  which  was  launched  on 14th  May,  2015  to  preserve  the  rich  heritage  of  traditional  arts/crafts  of minorities.  The  scheme  aims  at  capacity  building  and  updating  the  traditional skills  of  master  craftsmen/artisans; documentation  of  identified  traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards for traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and develop national and international market linkages.   The training component of the scheme was started from 2016-17.

Further, Hunar Haat is implemented as a component of the USTTAD scheme. The  Hunar  Haat  is  an  effective  platform  wherein  opportunity  is  given  to minority artisans and culinary experts from across the country to showcase and market their finest handicraft and exquisitely crafted products.  So far, 14 Hunar Haats have been organized through National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) since November, 2016.

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