Lok Sabha Question No. 5074 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-04-04
Subject: Public Higher Education Institutes
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Debasree Chaudhuri

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5074 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 th  APRIL, 2022

Public Higher Education Institutes

## 5074. MS. DEBASREE CHAUDHURI:

## Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  percentage  of  students  belonging  to  minority  communities  currently  enrolled  in Public Higher Educational Institutes in the country;
- (b) whether the Government has identified key problem areas in its own programmes that must be addressed to improve the access to higher education amongst minorities;
- (c) if so, the steps taken by the Government to improve access to higher education; and
- (d) whether the Government plans on extending the number of educational schemes available to minorities for higher education and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

(a): As per  All  India  Survey  on  Higher  Education  for  the  year  2019-20,  out  of  1.65  crore students enrolled in public higher education institutions, more than 12.28 lakh students belong to minority communities.

(b) to (d): The enrolment of students from Minority communities has increased significantly from 21,83,184 (as per AISHE 2014-15) to 29,88,610 (as per AISHE 2019-20), an increase of 36.9%.   The  National  Education  Policy  2020  is  also  emphasizing  on  Equitable  and  Inclusive Education  by  focusing  on  Socially  and  Economically  Disadvantaged  Groups  (SEDGs)  which includes students from minorities communities also. The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements several schemes for educational empowerment of students/ beneficiaries belonging to  six  notified  minority  communities,  namely,  Christian,  Sikh,  Muslim,  Buddhist,  Jain  and Zoroastrian  (Parsi)  students,  such  as  post  matric  scholarship  scheme  for  eligible  minority students  studying  in  Class  11  to  PhD  level,  Merit-cum-Mean  Based  scholarship  scheme  for pursuing professional and technical courses,  'Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority

Students (MANF)' to provide financial assistance for pursuing M. Phil/ Ph.D research on full time/regular basis, PadhoPardesh- Interest Subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies and

Educational Loan Scheme of National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC). The Ministry of Minority Affairs is also implementing the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK),  a  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  (CSS),  with  the  objective  of  improving  socioeconomic  condition  and  basic  amenities  in  identified  Minority  Concentrated  Areas  (MCAs) mainly  through  infrastructure  support.  Education  is  amongst  the  priority  sectors  wherein  the projects  for  School  level  and  Higher  Education  are  approved  so  as  to  increase  access  to education  in  the  identified  areas. In  addition,  under  Skill  Sector  additional  infrastructure  for existing ITIs and support to Polytechnics have been approved.

The Ministry of Education is also offering scholarships to students for pursuing higher education, including students from minority communities. Government has also taken several steps for good quality Distance and Online education which include issuing of new UGC regulation for Open and Distance Learning that allows entry of reputed institutions to offer education on the distance mode, using ICT mode through - SWAYAM portal to reach out of people and allow them to secure  good  quality  education,  a  digital  initiative-  SWAYAM  PRABHA  channels  and  E-PG Pathshala etc

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