Lok Sabha Question No. 3208 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-04
Subject: Funds for various Minority Communities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dipsinh Shankarsinh Rathod

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3208

ANSWERED ON 04.08.2022

## FUNDS FOR VARIOUS MINORITY COMMUNITIES

## 3208.  SHRI DIPSINH SHANKARSINH RATHOD:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) Whether  the  Government  has  any  details  about  the  various  communities considered as minority community in the country; and

(b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  details  of  the  funds  used  for  various minority communities during the last five years?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a)   & (b):  The Central Government notifies minority communities in consultation with various stakeholders under Section 2 (c) of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992. The Central Government has notified six communities as minority communities  namely  Buddhists,  Christians,  Jains,  Muslims,  Parsis  and  Sikhs  under Section  2(c)  of  the  National  Commission  for  Minorities  Act,  1992. The  details  of  the schemes/programmes implemented by the Ministry in brief are as under: -

## (A): Educational Empowerment Schemes:

(1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme (w.e.f.2008-09) - Scholarship is provided to minority students  from  Class  I  to  X,  whose  family  income  is  not  more  than  Rs.1  Lakh  per annum. 30% scholarships are earmarked for girl students.

(2)  Post-Matric  Scholarship  Scheme  (2007-08)  - Scholarship  is  provided  to  minority students from Class  XI to Phd., whose family income is not more than Rs. 2 Lakh per annum. 30% scholarships are earmarked for girls students.

(3) Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme (2007-08) - Scholarship is provided to minority students for Professional and Technical courses, at Under Graduate and Post

Graduate level whose family income is not more than Rs. 2.5 Lakh per annum.  30% scholarships are earmarked for girl students.

All  the  three  Scholarship  schemes are  on  boarded  on  the  National Scholarship  Portal (NSP) and the scholarship amount is disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

(4)  Maulana  Azad  National  Fellowship  Scheme  (w.e.f.  2009-10)  -  Under  the  scheme fellowship in the form of financial assistance is provided to minority candidates who clear  the  UGC-NET or Joint CSIRUGC-NET examination and whose family income is not more than Rs. 6 lakh per annum. 30% seats are earmarked for girl students.

(5)  Padho  Pardesh (w.e.f.  2013-14)- Under the scheme interest subsidy is provided to students of minority communities on educational loans, for overseas higher studies and whose  annual  family  income  is  not  more  than  Rs.  6  lakh  per  annum.  35%  seats  are earmarked for girl students

(6) Naya Savera - Free Coaching and Allied Scheme (w.e.f. 2006-07)  - The Scheme aims to  provide  free  coaching  to  students/candidates  belonging  to  minority  communities whose family income is not more than Rs. 6 lakh per annum,  for qualifying in entrance examinations  of  technical/  medical  professional  courses  and  various  Competitive examinations. 30% seats are earmarked for girl students.

(7)  Nai  Udaan  (w.e.f.  2013-14)  -  Support  is  provided  to  minority  candidates  clearing Preliminary examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc. whose family income is less than Rs. 8 lakh per annum.

(8)  Scheme  for  Providing  Education  to  Madarsas/Minorities  (SPEMM) is a  Centrally Sponsored  Scheme,  which  has  been  transferred  from  the  Department  of  School Education & Literacy (DoSEL), M/o Education to Ministry of Minority Affairs w.e.f. 1st April,  2021. The  SPEMM comprises of two  schemes  namely  (i)  Scheme for  Providing Quality  Education  in  Madarsas  (SPQEM)  and  (ii)  Infrastructure  Development  in Minority Institutions (IDMI).

The funds used for aforesaid Educational Empowerment Schemes  is Rs.11094.79 crores during the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).

## (B): Employment Oriented Schemes:

(9)  Seekho  Aur  Kamao  -  Skill  development  scheme  for  youth  of  14  -  35  years  age group  and  aiming at  providing  employment  and  employment  opportunities, improving the employability of existing workers, school dropouts etc.

(10)  USTTAD  (Upgrading  the  Skills  and  Training  in  Traditional  Arts/Crafts  for Development).  An  effective  platform  to  provide  self-employment,  market  and opportunity to traditional artisans and craft persons from the minority communities. Hunar  Haats  are  being  organised  across  the  Country  to  provide  employment opportunities and markets to artisans/craftsmen.

(11) Nai Manzil - A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts or educated in community educational institutions like Madarsas.

(12) Nai Roshni -Leadership development of women  belonging to minority communities and non-minority communities (not exceeding 25% of each batch).

The  funds  used  for  aforesaid  Employment  Oriented  Schemes  are  Rs.1623.23  crores during the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).

## (C): Infrastructure Development Scheme:

(13)  Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) - A Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS),  is  being  implemented  with  the  objective  to  develop  infrastructure  projects  in identified area. The priority sectors under PMJVK  are  Education, Health, Skill Development, Sports, Sanitation, Solar Energy, Women Centric projects etc.

The funds used for PMJVK are Rs.6410.82 crores during the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22).

## (D): Special Schemes:

(14) Jiyo Parsi - Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India.

(15) Hamari Dharohar- A scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture.

(16)   (i)   Qaumi  Waqf  Board  Taraqqiati  Scheme  (QWBTS) -The  scheme  is  intended  to help  streamlining  record  keeping,  introduce  transparency,  and  to  computerize  the various functions/processes of the Waqf Boards.

(ii)  Shahari  Waqf  Sampatti  Vikas  Yojana  (SWSVY)- Under  this  scheme,  interest free  loan  to  Waqf  Boards  (WBs)/Waqf  Institutions  is   granted  for  construction  of economically viable buildings  on the waqf land.

(17)  Maulana  Azad  Education  Foundation  (MAEF)  implements  education  and  skill related  schemes  as  follows:-  (a)  Begum  Hazrat  Mahal  National  Scholarship  for Meritorious  Girls  belonging  to  the  economically  weaker  sections  of  Minorities  (b) Grant-in-aid to NGOs for infrastructure development of educational institutions.

(18) Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for providing  concessional  loans  to  minorities  for  education,  self-employment,  income generating ventures and micro financing.

The funds used for  Special Schemes (Jiyo Parsi, Hamari Dharohar, QWBTS & SWSVY) is Rs.83.65 croes during the last five years (2017-18 to 2021-22)

The details of the schemes mentioned at S. No.(1) to (16) are available on the website of this  Ministry  (www.minorityaffairs.gov.in)  and  those  at  serial  No.(17)  and  (18)  are available  on  the  website  of  MAEF  (www.maef.nic.in) and  NMDFC (www.nmdfc.org) respectively.

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