Lok Sabha Question No. 4484 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-20
Subject: Economic Empowerment and Skill Development of Minorities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4484

ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025

## ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF MINORITIES

4484. SHRI RAJU BISTA:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of schemes and programmes implemented by the Government for the economic empowerment and skill development of religious minorities in the country;
- (b) the details of funds sanctioned and released to the State of  West Bengal for implementation  of  the  schemes  'Seekho  aur  Kamao'  (Learn  &  Earn),  Upgrading  Skill  and Training  in  Traditional  Arts/Crafts  for  Development  (USTTAD),  'Nai  Manzil'  scheme  to provide  education  and  skill  training  to  the  youth  from  minority  communities  and  'Nai Roshni'- Scheme for Leadership Development of minority women; and

(c)  the  details  of  the  number  of  beneficiaries  under  the  said  schemes/programmes  in Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency along with the funds spent thereunder?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

(a): The Ministry of Minority  Affairs is implementing Pradhan Mantri Virasat  Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry which converges five erstwhile schemes viz. Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar  schemes  and  focuses  on  socio-economic  empowerment  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 has provisions to facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC).

Under  the  PM  VIKAS  Scheme,  the  Ministry  also  organizes  'LokS  amvardhan  Parv' which provides artisans with a unique opportunity to showcase their indigenous arts, crafts, and rich cultural heritage. The event has been designed not only to promote the traditions of minority  communities  but also  to  foster  an  innovative  and  entrepreneurial  environment for artisans.  To  enhance  their  skills  in  areas  like  marketing,  export  &  online  business,  design, taxation  and  sales  etc.,  workshops  are  conducted  by  the  Ministry,  with  support  from  the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH),  ensuring a holistic approach to empowering their talent and increasing their income. So far, the Ministry has organised 04 Lok Samvardhan Parvs, as under:

- a. July, 2024 at DilliHaat, INA, New Delhi
- b. January, 2025 at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi
- c. April, 2025 at Convocation Ground, Kashmir University, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
- d. June, 2025 at Gandhi Darshan, Raj Ghat, New Delhi

(b)  and  (c):  The  erstwhile  schemes  of  Seekho  Aur  Kamao,  Nai  Manzil,  Nai  Roshni  and USTTAD, which  have  now  been  converged  into  PM  VIKAS,  used  to  be  implemented  by Project  Implementing Agencies  (PIAs) empanelled  by the  Ministry on a  project-level basis and not on State-level basis. Accordingly, State/UT-wise or district-wise fund allocation data was not made under these schemes.The Ministry, however, maintained the state-wise number of  beneficiaries  trained  under  these  schemes.  The  number  of  beneficiaries  for  the  state  of West Bengal were as follows:

|   S No. | Scheme           | No. of beneficiaries (since inception)   |
|---------|------------------|------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Seekho Aur Kamao | 32,477                                   |
|       2 | USTTAD           | 1,076                                    |
|       3 | Nai Manzil       | 5,730                                    |
|       4 | Nai Roshni       | 8,850                                    |

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