Lok Sabha Question No. 1576 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-10
Subject: Skill Development Training
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Nishikant  Dubey

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1576

ANSWERED ON 10.02.2022

## SKILL DEVELOPMENT TRAINING

## 1576. DR.NISHIKANT DUBEY

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of individuals/ youth who have received skill development training under the scheme for Skill Development of Minorities;
- (b) the  number  of  women/  girls  from  minority  groups  who  have  been  trained  under  the scheme for Modular Employable Skills (MES) since its inception; and
- (c) the total  number  of  Institutions/  Societies/  Organisations/  NGOs  working  with  the Government for the implementation of the said schemes?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The Ministry of Minority Affairs undertakes several schemes for upliftment of welfare and socio-economic  empowerment  of  the  six  (6)  notified  minority  communities  namely Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, Christians, Jains and Parsis. A brief of the skill development schemes implemented by the Ministry is given below.
- (i) Seekho aur Kamao Scheme

'Seekho Aur Kamao' scheme (Learn and Earn) is a placement-linked skill  development scheme for minorities. It aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth (in the age group of 14-45  years)  in  various  modern/  traditional  skills  depending  upon  their  qualification, present economic trends, and market potential, that can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to take up self-employment. The scheme targets to earmark 33%  of  the  total  allocation  for  female  beneficiaries.The  scheme  aims  to  integrate  the trained minority beneficiaries, socially and economically in the national mainstream.

- (ii)Nai Manzil Scheme

'Nai Manzil' scheme launched in 2015 aims to engage with poor minority youth and help them obtain sustainable and gainful employment opportunities that can facilitate them to be  integrated  with  the  mainstream  economic  activities.  It  targets  to  mobilise  youth  from minority  communities  who  are  school  dropouts  and  provide  them  with  formal  education and  certification  up  to  level  8th  or  10th  through  National  Institute  of  Open  Schooling (NIOS) or other State open schooling systems. As part of the programme, it also intends to  provide  integrated  skill training  to  the  youth  in  market-driven skillsin  NSQF  compliant skill courses.The scheme targets school dropout, minority youth from BPL families in the age  group  of  17-35  years.  At  least  30%  of  the  beneficiary  seats  are  targeted  to  be earmarked for girl/ women candidates and 5% of the beneficiary seats to be earmarked for persons with disability belonging to minority community.

## (iii) USTTAD scheme

'USTTAD'  scheme  (Upgrading  the  Skills  and  Training  in  Traditional  Arts/Crafts  for Development), launched in 2015 targets capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills  of  master  craftsmen/  artisans.  The  scheme  works  towards  preservation  of  rich heritage  of  the  traditional  arts  and  crafts,  and  targets  documentation  of  the  identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; setting up of standards for traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and to facilitate  development  of  national  and  international  market  linkages  for  artisans.  The training component of the scheme was started from 2016-17. The scheme also organizes 'Hunar Haat'. Hunar Haat is an effective platform where minority artisans/ craftsmen and culinary  experts  across  the  country  are  given  the  opportunity  to  showcase  and  market their finest handicraft and indigenous products. Hunar Haats have generated employment and employment opportunities for artisans.

Also, Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) implements Gharib Nawaz Employment Scheme, and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) implements Kaushalse Kushalta Scheme and Mahila Samridhi Yojana.

The total number of individuals/ youths who have received the skill development training for  skill  development  of  minorities  under  the  above  mentioned  scheme  is  657802 Despitethe  challenges  faced  due  to  outbreak  of  COVID-19  pandemic,  the  Ministry  has been  able  to  successfully  complete  the  employment-oriented  skill  development  training programmes.

- (b) Under  the  skill  development  scheme  of  Seekho  aur  Kamao,  85,650  women/  girls  from minority  groups  have  been  trained  for  Modular  Employable  Skills  (MES)  courses  since inception  till  2016-17.  From  2017-18  onwards,  the  Ministry  adopted  Common  Norms completely  with  NSQF  complaint  courses.  Also,  under  the  Gharib  Nawaz  Employment Scheme of MAEF, 26,400 women have been trained for MES courses.
- (c) 381 Project Implementation Agencies (Institutions/ Societies/ Organisations/ NGOs) have been working with skill development schemes of the Ministry.

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