Lok Sabha Question No. 4509 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Employment and Economic Empowerment of Minorities in Assam
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Tariq Anwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †4509

TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

## EMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT OF MINORITIES IN ASSAM

†4509.  SHRI TARIQ ANWAR:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of schemes being run for education, employment and economic empowerment of minority communities, especially the Muslim community of Assam;
- (b)  the  special  measures  taken/being  taken  to  address  citizenship  concerns,  economic backwardness and social discrimination faced by the Muslim community in Assam;
- (c) the name of the training and loan schemes being run to provide employment to the youth and for women empowerment of these communities; and
- (d)  the  initiatives  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  maintain  social  harmony  in minority dominated areas?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a)  to  (c):  The  Government  implements  various schemes  for  the  welfare  and  upliftment  of every strata, including Muslim minority community, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society in the country. Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs specifically  implements  following  schemes  across  the  country  for  socio-economic  and educational empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities viz. Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Sikh. These schemes are as under:

## SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES :

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented the following three Scholarship schemes for the educational empowerment of the six centrally notified minority communities:

- i) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme;
2. ii) Post Matric Scholarship Scheme; and
3. iii) Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme.

The details of these schemes are available in public domain on the website of the Ministry i.e. minorityaffairs.gov.in.'

## PRADHAN MANTRI JAN VIKAS KARYAKRAM (PMJVK):

The Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, is one of the flagship programs of the Ministry of Minority Affairs for creation of community infrastructure in the Minority  Concentration  Areas  of  the  country  in various sectors viz. Health,  Skill  Development,  Women  Centric  Projects,  Education,  Drinking  Water  and

Supply,  Sanitation  and  Sports.  The  aim  of  the  scheme  includes  to  boost  the  social  and economic conditions of the Minority Communities including Muslims of that particular area.

## PRADHAN MANTRI VIRASAT KA SAMVARDHAN (PM VIKAS)

The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan ( PMVIKAS)  as  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  which  converges  five  erstwhile schemes  viz.  'Seekho  Aur  Kamao',  'Nai  Manzil',  'Nai  Roshni',  'USTTAD'  and  'Hamari Dharohar' schemes.

The  scheme  focuses  on  socio-economic  upliftment  of  six  notified  minority  communities, through the following:

- i. Skilling and Training (Non-traditional and traditional)
- ii. Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship
- iii. Education (through National Institute of Open Schooling)
- iv. Infrastructure Development (through Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram)

The scheme also facilitates credit  linkages by connecting beneficiaries  with loan  programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC).

## NATIONAL MINORITIES DEVELOPMENT & FINANCE CORPORATION (NMDFC)

NMDFC implements  its  schemes  for  socio-economic  empowerment  including  educational empowerment  of  'backward  sections'  including  women  among  the  notified  minority communities by providing concessional loan for self-employment  income generation ventures  &  education  loan  for  technical  &  professional  courses,  across  the  country.  The schemes  of  NMDFC  are  implemented  through  State Channelizing  Agencies  (SCAs) nominated by respective State Government / UT Administration.

The  State  Government  of  Assam  has  recently  nominated  Assam  Minorities  Development Board  (AMDB)  as  the  new  State  Channelizing  Agency  (SCA)  to  implement  NMDFC schemes  in  the  state  of  Assam.  AMDB  has  signed  General  Loan Agreement  (GLA)  with NMDFC. However, Government Guarantee from State Government in favour of AMDB is awaited for drawl of funds from NMDFC.

(d):  To  promote  social  harmony  and  understanding  among  the  different  minority  religious communities,  the  National  Commission  for  Minorities  (NCM),  a  statutory  body  under  the Ministry of Minority Affairs, regularly holds interfaith meetings (Sarv Dharm Samvad) with the representatives of minority communities, including Muslim community and celebrations of festivals of all religions.

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