Lok Sabha Question No. 3555 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Beneficiaries under MANF Scheme
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3555 ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## Beneficiaries under MANF Scheme

## 3555. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWASI:

Will the Minister of Minority Affairs be pleased to state:

(a)  the  number  of  Muslim  beneficiaries  especially  women  beneficiaries  under  Maulana  Azad National Fellowship (MANF) scheme during the last three years, year, State and district-wise for Telangana and Andhra Pradesh;

- (b)  the  extent  to  which  stopping  of  the  MANF  scheme  has  a  direct  impact  on  education  of minority students;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any survey or any study about the impact on minority students before stopping of this scheme;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the rationale behind stopping of this scheme;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to restore the said scheme; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a): The Government has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through various schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Rural Development. Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  has  specifically  implemented  various  schemes,  including  PreMatric, Post Matric and Merit-cum-Means Scholarship schemes, across the country for socioeconomic and educational empowerment of the six notified minority communities.

Community-wise and district-wise breakup of beneficiaries are not captured on the fellowship portal maintained by Canara Bank, however the gender wise break up relating to the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh during the last three years is as follows:

## Telangana:

| Year    |   Number of Students availed Fellowships |   Number of Female Students availed Fellowships |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2019-20 |                                       49 |                                              26 |
| 2020-21 |                                       41 |                                              21 |
| 2021-22 |                                       29 |                                              15 |

## Andhra Pradesh:

| Year    |   Number of Students availed Fellowships |   Number of Female Students availed Fellowships |
|---------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
| 2019-20 |                                      100 |                                              47 |
| 2020-21 |                                       66 |                                              27 |
| 2021-22 |                                       48 |                                              19 |

(b)  to  (f):  The  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs,  Government  of  India  has  been  implementing  the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme on the lines of the JRF Scheme of UGC and  CSIR.  The  UGC  and  CSIR  Fellowship  Schemes  are  open  for  candidates  of  all  social categories  and  communities  including  minorities.  In  addition  to  this,  students  from  minority communities are also covered under the Fellowship Schemes being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal Affairs for SC and OBC students and for ST  students  respectively.  In  view  of  the  overlap  among  the  aforesaid  Schemes  -  it  has  been decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme from 2022-23 onward. The existing MANF Fellows will continue to receive Fellowships till the end of their respective tenure, subject to compliance with the extant guidelines. As of now, there is no proposal to restore the Scheme.