Lok Sabha Question No. 1780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-29
Subject: Equal Opportunity Commission
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: D. Ravikumar

## EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION

## 1780. SHRI RAVIKUMAR D.:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any idea to set up an 'Equal Opportunity Commission (EOC) to look into the grievances of the deprived groups like UK Race Relation Act, 1976;
- (b) whether the Government has any plan to evolve a system where part of allocation to colleges and universities is linked to the diversity in the student population; and
- (c) whether the Muslim participation in Government employment and other programmes has been very limited and if so, the measures taken by the Government to increase their participation?

## A N S W E R

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

- (a) The Government has made every section of the society an equal partner of progress with the commitment  to  'Development  with  Dignity'  'Empowerment  without  Appeasement'  and 'Sabka  Sath,  Sabka  Vikas,  Sabka  Vishwas'  ensuring  equal  benefits  to  all  sections  of  the society.  Irrespective  of  his  or  her  caste,  religion,  region  and  community  is  at  the  centre  of welfare schemes of the Government. The Government has been treating all the sections of the society  including  the  Muslims  as  an  equal  partner  of  the  development  process.  Hence  the Minorities in India are flourishing equally with all the other sections of the society with a sense of equality, security and prosperity. Ministry of Minority Affairs and other Ministries/Departments  of  the  Government  are  implementing  various  socio-economic  and educational empowerment schemes which are benefitting every section of the society including minority communities.
- (b) & (c) The Ministry of Minority Affairs is entrusted with the work related to improvement of the  socio-economic  condition  of  the  minority  communities  through  affirmative  action  and inclusive development efforts, so that every citizen has equal opportunity to participate actively in building a vibrant nation.

The  Department  Personnel  &  Training  does  not  maintain  separate  community  wise  data  on recruitment. This Ministry implements  various schemes  with  objective to increase the participation  of  the  disadvantaged/underprivileged  children/candidates  of  notified  minority communities  and  to  improve  the  level  of  education,  participation  in  employment,  skill  and entrepreneurship  development,  reducing  deficiencies  in  civic  amenities  or  infrastructure  are implemented by this Ministry.

Further, the National Commission for Minorities(NCM) has also been set up by Government as per NCM Act, 1992  to (a) evaluate the progress of the development of minorities under the Union and States; (b) monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures; (c) make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of minorities by the Central  Government  or  the  State  Governments;  (d)  look  into  specific  complaints  regarding deprivation  of  rights  and  safeguards  of  the  minorities  and  take  up  such  matters  with  the appropriate  authorities;  (e)  cause  studies  to  be  undertaken  into  problems  arising  out  of  any discrimination  against  minorities  and  recommend  measures  for  their  removal;  (f)  conduct studies,  research  and  analysis  on  the  issues  relating  to  socio-economic  and  educational development of minorities;  (g) suggest appropriate measures in respect of any minority to be undertaken  by  the  Central  Government  or  the  State  Governments;  (h)  make  periodical  or special  reports  to  the  Central  Government  on  any  matter  pertaining  to  minorities  and  in particular difficulties confronted by them; and (i) any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.   Further, a brief of the schemes/programmers being implemented by  the  Ministry  for  the  educational/economic  empowerment  of  Minority  students/candidates are as under:-

## (A) Educational Empowerment

- (i) Scholarship  Schemes-  Pre-Matric  Scholarship,  Post-Matric  Scholarship  and  Merit-cumMeans based Scholarship. During the last 7 years, 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) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme, provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities and whose annual income is below Rs. 6.0 lakh per annum from all sources, to pursue higher education such as M.Phil and Ph.D.
- (iii) In addition, the Maulana  Azad Education Foundation implements the scheme viz. Begum Hazrat  Mahal  National  Scholarship  for  meritorious  girls  belonging  to  notified  minority communities studying in Classes IX to XII.
- (iv) Naya  Savera  -  Free  Coaching  and  Allied  Scheme  which  aims  to  enhance  skills  and knowledge  of  students  and  candidates  from  notified  minority  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. During last seven years about 69,500 candidates have benefitted from the coaching scheme of this Ministry.
- (v) Nai  Udaan  -  Support  for  notified  minority  community  students,  on  clearing  Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.

## (B) Economic Empowerment

- (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  employment  or  make  them  suitably  skilled  to  go  for  self-employment. Since,  2014-15  approx. 3.92  lakh  persons    have  been  benefitted  from    this  employment oriented program.
- (b) A mission has been launched by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under 'Upgrading the Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD)' scheme to give an effective platform to minority artisans and culinary experts from across the country to showcase  and  market  their  finest handicraft  and  exquisitely  crafted  products  through 'Hunar  Haats'organized  by  the  Ministry.  Ministry  has  engaged  institutions  of  national repute  namely,  National  Insitutte  of  Fashion  Technology  (NIFT),  National  Institute  of Design (NID) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to work in various craft clusters for design intervention, product range development, packaging, exhibitions and brand building etc.   So  far,  Ministry  has  organised  28  'Hunar  Haats'  in  which  more  than  5.5  lakhs artisans and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities, out of which more than 50% beneficiaries are women.
- (c) Nai Manzil - A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.
- (d) Gharib Nawaz Employment Training Programme provides for short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to minority communities.
- (e) National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemes provide concessional  loans  for  self-employment  and  income  generating  activities  for  the  socioeconomic development of the 'backward sections' amongst the notified minorities.

In  addition,  another  scheme  namely  Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas  Karyakram  (PMJVK)  is implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs,   which  aims  to  improve  the  socio-economic conditions  and  basic  amenities  in  the  identified  Minority  Concentration  Areas.   The  major  projects approved under PMJVK are in sectors of education, health and skill, and include Residential Schools, School  buildings,  Hostels,  Degree  Colleges,  ITIs,  Polytechnics,  Smart  Class  Rooms,  Sadbhav Mandaps, Health Centres, Skill Centres, Sports facilities, Drinking Water facilities, sanitation facilities etc.  In  the  last  7  years,  under  the  'Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas  Karykram'  (PMJVK)  more  than  43 thousand  basic  infrastructure  projects  have  been  created  such  as  residential  schools,  new  schools, colleges,  hostels,  community  centres,  common  service  centres,  ITIs,  Polytechnics,  Girls  Hostels, Sadbhava Mandaps, Hunar Hubs, Smart Class Rooms etc in identified  Minority concentrated areas across the country.

Further, under Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme for welfare of minorities, the Government ensures that the benefits of various government  schemes  for the underprivileged reach the disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of the minority communities also. Under the programme, it is provisioned  that,  wherever  possible,  15%  of  targets  and  outlays  under  various  schemes  should  be earmarked for minorities. Details of the schemes being implemented by Ministry of Minority Affairs is available at https://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in /en/schemes performance.

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