Lok Sabha Question No. 2278 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Enhance Job Opportunities for SCs and STs
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Adv. Chandra Shekhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2278 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## ENHANCE JOB OPPORTUNITES FOR SCs AND STs

2278.  Adv. CHANDRA SHEKHAR :

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  specific  measures  that  are  being  implemented  to enhance job opportunities for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities;
- (b) the manner in which the Government plans to address the concerns raised  in  recent  reports  regarding  the  under  representation  of SC/ST individuals in Government employment and skill development programme,  particularly  in  light  of  the  backlog  of  vacancies  in reserved positions as highlighted by the Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes; and
- (c) the  steps  being  taken  to  ensure  timely  disbursement  of  funds allocated  for  skill  training  initiatives  aimed  at  these  marginalized communities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (c) : Employment generation coupled with improving employability is  a  priority  of  Government.  Various  employment  generation  schemes/ programmes, including for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities like Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Pt.  Deen  Dayal  Upadhyaya  Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY), Rural Self-Employment and Training Institutes (RSETIs), Deen Dayal Antodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods  Mission  (DAY-NULM),  Pradhan  Mantri  Mudra  Yojana  (PMMY), etc.  are  being  implemented.  The  details  of  these  programmes  may  be seen at https://dge.gov.inschemes\_programmes.

Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing the 'Welfare of  SC/ST  jobseekers  Scheme'  through  the  network  of  25  National Career Service Centres for SC/ST (NCSC-SC/STs) across the country to enhance the employability of SC/ST jobseekers through pre-recruitment training, vocational guidance, career counselling and computer training etc.  with  a  view  to  prepare  them  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  labour market.  Further,  Ministry  of  Skill  Development  and  Entrepreneurship (MSDE) is implementing Skill India Mission (SIM) that delivers skill, reskill  and up-skill training through an extensive network  of skill development  centres  /  institutes  under  various  schemes  to  all  the sections of the society across the country including the marginalised communities.  The  SIM  aims  at  enabling  youth  of  India  to  get  future ready and equipped with industry relevant skills.

Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  has  launched  the Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes (VCF-SC) in 2014-2015 and the Venture Capital Fund for Backward Classes (VCF-BC) in 2017-2018.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs for its part is implementing schemes for undertaking income generation activities by National Scheduled Tribe Finance  Development  Corporation  (NSTFDC)  like  Term  Loan  Scheme, Adivasi Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojana (AMSY), Micro Credit Scheme for Self-Help Groups (MCF), Adivasi Shikha Rrinn Yojana etc.

Occurrence and filling of vacancies, including backlog reserved vacancies, is a continuous process. Instructions have been issued to all Ministries/Departments of the Central Government to constitute an In-House  Committee  for  identification  of  backlog  reserved  vacancies and to initiate measures to remove the factors causing such backlog and to fill them up through Special Recruitment Drives.

As  regards  release  of  funds  to  marginalized  communities,  the Public Finance Management System (PFMS) has established an online financial  management  information  and  decision  support  system  for tracking of funds released under all welfare schemes of Government of India  along  with  reporting  of  expenditure  at  all  levels  of  programme implementation through treasury and bank interface.

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