Lok Sabha Question No. 862 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-02
Subject: Representation of Minorities in Public Bodies
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Thomas Chazhikadan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 862 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.12.2021

## REPRESENTATION OF MINORITIES IN PUBLIC BODIES

## 862. SHRI THOMAS CHAZHIKADAN:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the representation of the minorities in public bodies is very less as compared to their population; and
- (b) whether the Government has taken any initiative to ensure the deserving participation of minorities and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) &  (b):   Candidates  to  the  Local  bodies  are  elected  directly  by  the  people  through  a democratic process and elections to these bodies are conducted as per the laws enacted by  the  respective  State  Government  and  under  the  supervision  of  the  State  Election Commission. All the State Governments have been advised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (erstwhile Ministry of Urban Development)  to  improve  representation  of  minorities  in  rural  and  urban  local  bodies respectively.

The Government has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of  every  section  of  the  society  including  minorities  especially  economically  weaker  & downtrodden  sections  all  over  the  country  like  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana (PMJAY), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM  KISAN),  Pradhan  Mantri  UjjwalaYojana  (PMUY),  Pradhan  Mantri  AwasYojana (PMAY), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, etc.

Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  also  implements  programmes/  schemes  for  socioeconomic  and  educational  empowerment  of  the  six  (6)  centrally  notified  minority communities  namely  Muslims,  Christians,  Sikhs,  Buddhists,  Parsis  and  Jains.  Due  to successful implementation of the  schemes there has been reduction in school dropout rate among the minority students and also helped in securing gainful employment to the minorities thereby leading to larger participation of minorities in the nation building. The schemes/programmes implemented by the Ministry in brief are as under:-

A. Educational Empowerment Schemes:-

- (1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme - For educational empowerment of students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode..
- (2)  Maulana  Azad  National  Fellowship  Scheme  -  Provide  fellowships  in  the  form  of financial assistance.
- (3) Naya Savera - Free Coaching and Allied Scheme - The Scheme aims to provide free coaching  to  students/candidates  belonging  to  minority  communities  for  qualifying  in entrance examinations of technical/ medical professional courses and various Competitive examinations.
- (4) Padho Pardesh - Scheme of interest subsidy to students of minority communities on educational loans for overseas higher studies.

(5) Nai Udaan - Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.

B. Employment oriented schemes:-

- (6) 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.
- (7) USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development). Hunar Haat are being organised across the Country to provide employment opportunities and markets to artisans/craftsmen.
- (8) Nai Manzil - A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts.
- (9) Nai Roshni - Leadership development of women belonging to minority communities.

C. Infrastructure Development Programme:(10)  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas  Karyakram  (PMJVK)  -  Being    Implemented  to  provide basic  infrastructure  such  as  Schools,  Colleges,  ITIs,  Polytechnics,  Hostels,  Sadbhav Mandap,  Skill  Development  Centres,  Drinking  water  and  Sanitation  facilities,  Primary

Health Centres etc. in deprived areas of the Country. The  details of the schemes (S. No.1 to 10) mentioned above and status of their implementation are available on the website of this Ministry ( www.minorityaffairs.gov.in) . During the last 7 years, achievements made under the major Schemes of the Ministry are given as under: (i) More than 4.52 crore beneficiaries have been provided different scholarships through the  National  Scholarship  Portal  (NSP)  and  Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  out  of  which more than 53% beneficiaries are female. (ii)  69,544  candidates  have  been  benefitted  under  the  Naya  Savera  scheme  and  5.83 lakh beneficiaries have been trained/allocated under the Seekho aur Kamao scheme. (iii)  Under  USTTAD  Scheme,  Ministry  has  organised  33  'Hunar  Haats'  in  which  more than 7  lakhs artisans and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities, out of which more than 50% beneficiaries are women. (iv)  Under  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas Karykram' (PMJVK)  more than 43 thousand basic  infrastructure  projects  have  been  created  such  as  schools,  colleges,  hostels, Hostels, Sadbhavana Mandap, Hunar Hub etc in  backward Minority concentrated  areas across community centres, common service centres, ITIs, Polytechnics, Girls the country.

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