Lok Sabha Question No. 3095 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-12
Subject: Survey for Minority Schemes
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: D. M. Kathir Anand

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3095 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2020

## SURVEY FOR MINORITY SCHEMES

## 3095. SHRI D. M. KATHIR ANAND:

- Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state: (a)  whether any survey has been conducted to find out the number of persons living below poverty line of different minority groups; (b) if so, the details thereof; (c) if not, in the absence of data, the manner in which the Government has formulated developmental schemes for the welfare of minority groups; (d) whether there is any proposal to conduct any survey now; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## A N S W E R MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a) & (b):   No Sir. (c) Most of the socio economic and educational empowerment schemes and programmes of the Central government are meant for the socio economically poor and down-trodden sections of the society including the six centrally notified minorities, who are getting equally benefitted. The Ministries/Departments  of  the  Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments  have  been implementing various schemes in various sectors e.g. education, health, employment-oriented skill  development,  etc.  for  target  groups  including  minorities  for  upliftment  of  their  living standards. In addition, other  poverty  alleviation  and  economic  development  schemes implemented by the Central Ministries/Departments also benefit the minorities.  .

Further, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has adopted  a multi-pronged strategy by way of implementation  of  various  schemes  which  aim  at  educational  empowerment,  employmentoriented skill  development, infrastructure support, etc. for the upliftment of living standards of the  notified  minorities  (Muslims,  Sikhs,  Christians,  Buddhists,  Parsis  and  Jains).    Details  of these schemes are as under:

- (A) Educational Empowerment:Income Criteria has been put in place in various schemes for selecting beneficiaries.
- (i) Scholarship Schemes- Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cumMeans based Scholarship.
- (ii)    NayaSavera - Free Coaching and Allied Scheme with the aim to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates from minority communities to get employment in Government Sector/ Public Sector Undertaking, jobs in private sector, and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at under-graduate and postgraduate levels.
- (iii) NaiUdaan-  a  scheme  for  providing  support  to  minority  candidates  clearing  Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission,  State Public Service Commissions, etc.,    to  adequately  equip  them  to  compete  for  appointment  to  Civil  Services  in  the Union and the States so as to increase the representation of the minorities in the Civil Services.
- (iv) Padho  Pardes-  A  scheme  for  providing  interest  subsidy  on  educational  loans  for overseas  studies  to  enable  students  from  minority  communities  to  pursue  higher education.
- (v) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities, to pursue higher education such as M. Phil and Ph. D.
- (vi) In  addition,  the  Maulana    Azad  Education  Foundation  implements  the  following  two schemes:
- (a)  Begum  Hazrat  Mahal  National  Scholarship  for  meritorious  girls  belonging  to minorities in class IX to XII.
- (b)  Gharib Nawaz Employment Programme.

## (B)      Economic Empowerment

## (i) Employment-oriented Skill Development: programme

- (a) Seekho  aur  Kamao  (Learn  &  Earn)':  It  is  a  skill  development  initiative  for minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional  skills  depending  upon  their  qualification,  present  economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment.
- (b) Upgrading Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD)-The scheme aims at capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills  of  master  craftsmen  and  artisans;  documentation  of  identified  traditional

arts/crafts  of  minorities;  set  standards  of  traditional  skills;  training  of  minority youths  in  various  identified  traditional  arts/crafts  through  master  craftsmen; develop national and international market linkages; and preservation of languishing  Arts/Crafts.  Hunar  Haats  are  organized  in  various  parts  of  the country,  which  provides  direct  and  indirect  employment  to  skilled  artisans  and craftpersons.

- (c) Nai Manzil - A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.

(ii) National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemes which provide concessional loans for self-employment and income generating activities for the socio- economic development of the 'backward sections' amongst the notified minorities.

- (iii) Priority Sector Lending by Banks.

## (C)  Infrastructure Support

Besides,  there  is  another  Scheme  namely  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas  Karyakram (PMJVK),  which  aims  at  improving  the  socio-economic  conditions  of  minorities  and providing basic amenities so as to improve their quality of life and reduce imbalances in the  identified  Minority  Concentration  Areas.    The  major  projects  approved  under  the Education  Sector  and  for  Skill  Development,  include  Residential  Schools,  School buildings,  Hostels,  Degree  Colleges,  ITIs,  Polytechnics,  SadbhavMandaps,  Health Centers,  etc.    80%  of  the  resources  under  the  scheme  are  earmarked  for  projects related to Education, Health and Skill Development.  Further 33 to 40% of resources are allocated for women centric projects.

Also, under the Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities, schemes/initiatives  are  being  implemented  by  various  Ministries/Departments  of  the Central Government throughout the country, including Ministry of Minority Affairs, either exclusively  or  by  earmarking  of  15%  of  overall  physical/financial  target,  wherever feasible, for the welfare of notified minorities.

The details of various schemes, being implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs, as well  as  other  Ministries/Departments  for  the  welfare  of  minorities  are  available  on  the website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs at - www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

- (d)  &  (e):  The  Ministry  does  not  have  any  proposal  to  conduct  survey  for  identifying  the minorities living Below Poverty Line.

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