Lok Sabha Question No. 2691 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-07
Subject: Zoroastrian Community
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Ms Kangna Ranaut

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2691

ANSWERED ON 07/08/2024

## ZOROASTRIAN COMMUNITY

## 2691       MS KANGNA RANAUT:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of flagship schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs including its benefits for the minority communities;
- (b)  whether  the  Union  Government  has  any  plan  or  mechanism  to  preserve  the  real  minority community Zoroastrians (Parsis) who has contributed a lot in Indian growth as this community is 0.0006% of Indian population about to the stage of extinction;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor?

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a)          The  Government  implements  various  schemes  for  the  welfare  and  upliftment  of  every strata, including minorities, specially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the  society.  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  specifically implements various schemes  across  the country  for socio-economic  and educational  empowerment  of  the  six  (6)  centrally notified minority communities.   These  schemes are meant  for the weaker  segments  of minority communities.  The Schemes/ programmes implemented by the Ministry are as under:

## 1. Educational Empowerment Schemes

- i. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme
- ii. Post Matric Scholarship Scheme
3. iii . Merit-cum-Mean based Scholarship Scheme

## 2. Employment and Economic Empowerment Schemes

- i)    Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS).PM VIKAS scheme comprises of the following components which target to improve employability and support in generating better livelihood opportunities for the targeted beneficiaries.
- a) Skilling and Training component
- b) Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship component
- c) Education support component (for school dropouts)

## ANSWER

Further, the scheme targets to promote credit and market linkages for the beneficiaries.

ii) National  Minorities  Development  and  Finance  Corporation  (NMDFC)  :  NMDFC provides concessional loan to 'Backward sections' amongst the notified minorities for selfemployment income  generation  activities  under  its  schemes  of  Term  loan,  Education  loan, Virasat  scheme  &  Micro  Finance  scheme  through  State  Channelizing  Agencies  (SCAs) nominated by respective State Govt./ UT Administration and Canara Bank.

## 3. Infrastructure Development Scheme

- i)    Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)

## 4.   Special Schemes

- (i) Jiyo Parsi: A Scheme for reversing the population decline of Parsis in India.
- (ii)  Quami Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS) and Shahari Waqf Sampatti Vikas Yojana (SWSVY)

The details of these schemes are available on the website of the Ministry www.minorityaffairs.gov.in .

All the schemes together have contributed in the acquisition of high level skills, greater opportunities in livelihood, high employability potential, improved access to better infrastructure, improved health and in the overall welfare of the Minority Communities.

- (b) to (d)   The Jiyo Parsi scheme was launched in 2013-14 with the objective to reverse the declining trend of Parsi population by adopting a scientific protocol and structured interventions, stabilize their population and to increase the population of Parsis in India. The scheme has three components:
- i)  Medical  Assistance  -  to  provide  financial  assistance  for  medical  treatment  under  standard medical protocol;
- ii)  Advocacy - provides for counselling of couples with fertility issues and publicity including workshops; and
- iii) Health of Community to provide financial assistance to Parsi couples towards childcare and assistance to dependent elderly;

The assistance under  the  scheme  is  being  released  to  the  beneficiaries  through  Direct  Benefit Transfer  (DBT)  mode  after  biometric  authentication  and  other  verifications  by  the  respective State Governments. Scheme guidelines is available on Ministry's website (www.minorityaffairs.gov.in).

The scheme has provision for regular monitoring by the Ministry and the State Governments and also concurrent evaluation to assess the benefits and the outcome of the scheme.

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