Lok Sabha Question No. 269 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-16
Subject: Financial Assistance to Students of Minority Communities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Chinta Anuradha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *269

ANSWERED ON 16.12.2021

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES

*269. SHRIMATI CHINTA ANURADHA:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  provide  financial  assistance  to  students  of minority communities apart from scholarships for higher education;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and

- (c) the steps taken by the Government to encourage higher education among minority students?

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

- (a) to (c):  A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## Statement referred to in reply to parts (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. *269  asked  by  Shrimati  Chinta  Anuradha  regarding  'Financial  Assistance  to Students of Minority Communities'.

(a)  to  (b):    The  Ministry  implements  three  Scholarship  Schemes  for  educational empowerment  of  minorities  (Buddhists,  Christians,  Jains,  Muslims,  Parsis  and  Sikhs) viz; Pre-Matric (for Class I to X out of which 30% scholarships are earmarked for girls), Post Matric (Class  XI  to Ph.D out  of which  30% scholarships are earmarked for girls) and  Merit-cum-Means  based  Scholarship  Schemes  (for  Technical  and  Professional Courses at under graduate and post graduate levels out of which 30% scholarships are earmarked  for  girls).  The  Maulana  Azad  Education  Foundation  (MAEF)  under  the Ministry of Minority Affairs also implements the Begum  Hazrat  Mahal  National Scholarship Scheme (BHMNS) for meritorious girl students, belonging to the six notified minority communities, for classes IX-XII. Since 2014-15,  more than 5.1 crore* scholarships have been provided through National Scholarship portal (NSP) and Direct Benefit Transfer(DBT) out of which more than 52% beneficiaries are female.

Apart from Scholarship Schemes  the  Government  also provides financial assistance to meritorious students from the economically weaker sections of the notified minority communities under the following schemes:

- i. Maulana  Azad  National  Fellowship  (MANF)  Scheme-  the  Scheme  provides Fellowship  to  minority  community  students  pursuing  full  time  M.  Phil  and  PhD courses in Universities/Institutions within India. The University Grants Commission  (UGC)  is  the  nodal  agency  for  implementing  the  Scheme  and qualifying the NET-JRF of the UGC or the UGC-CSIR joint test is a prerequisite for award of the Fellowship under the Scheme. 30% fellowships are earmarked for  girl  students.  The  rate  of  Fellowship  is  at  par  with  the  rate  of  Fellowship awarded by the UGC for Junior Research  Fellows (JRF)  and  Senior Research Fellows (SRF).
- ii. Padho Pardesh Scheme- The Scheme provides interest subsidy to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of notified minority communities  on  the  interest  payable  for  the  period  of  moratorium  (i.e.  course period, plus one year or six months after getting job, whichever is earlier) for the Educational  Loans  for  overseas  studies  to  pursue  approved  courses  of  studies abroad  at  Masters  and  M.Phil/Ph.D  levels.  35%  seats  are  earmarked  for  girl students  and  Canara  Bank  is  the  designated  nodal  bank  for  implementing  the Scheme.
- iii. National  Minorities  Development  &  Finance  Corporation  (NMDFC),  a  Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Minority Affairs, provides education loan to students from economically weaker sections of the notified minority communities  for  pursuing  technical  and  professional  courses  with  maximum course  duration  of  5  years.    Under  this  scheme,  loan  of  up  to  ₹  20.00  lakh  is provided  for  courses  in  India  and  up  to  ₹  30.00  lakh  for  courses  abroad.  The scheme  is  implemented  through  the State  Channelizing  Agencies  (SCAs) nominated by the respective State Governments/UT Administration.

(c) Apart  from  the  above,  Government  also  provides  financial  support  for  free coaching to notified minority students in selected coaching institutions, under the Naya Savera Scheme, for entrance examinations like JEE, NEET, CLAT, CAT, MAT, etc., for admission in engineering/medical/law/management courses and any other such disciplines as the Government may decide from time to time.

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*The figure  also  includes  the  beneficiaries  who  would  avail  the  scholarship  for  the year 2021-22 for which the budget has been allocated.