Lok Sabha Question No. 2953 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-03
Subject: Problems Faced by Minorities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: RAOSAHEB PATIL DANVE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2953 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2016

## Problems Faced by Minorities

## 2953. SHRI RAOSAHEB DANVE PATIL

Will the Minister of MINORITYAFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the problem being faced by minority communities in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefore along with the manner in which the Government proposes to address the problems of minorities in various States, State-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has recently reviewed the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Free Coaching and Allied Scheme for Minority Communities Students;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefore;
- (e) the details of the coaching institutions providing free coaching to minority students in  the  country  and  the  students  benefited  under  Scholarship  Schemes  and  Free Coaching and Allied Scheme during the last three years and the current year, Statewise; and
- (f) whether  the  Government  has  received  proposals  from  the  State  Governments  to increase  the  financial  support  for  Scholarship  Scheme  and  Free  Coaching  and Allied  Scheme and if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  reaction  of  the  Government thereon, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a)  &  (b): The Government had setup a high level committee to prepare a report on the socioeconomic and educational status of minorities in India. Based on the findings of the committee, on socio-economic conditions of minorities various schemes for improving educational social and economic status of minorities are being implemented by the Government:-

(i) 'Seekho aur Kamao' a placement linked skill development scheme for minorities, was started in 2013-14. The scheme aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills  depending  upon  their  qualification,  present  economic  trends  and  market  potential,  which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment. The scheme ensures placements of minimum 75% trainees, out of which at least 50% placement is in organized  sector.  The  scheme  is  implemented  in  States  through  selected  Project  Implementing Agencies (PIAs).

(ii) The scheme of 'USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development)' was launched on 14.5.2015. The scheme aims at capacity building and updating the traditional skills of master craftsmen/artisans; documentation  of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards for traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and develop national and international market linkages.

(iii)  Nai  Manzil  is  a  new  integrated  education  and  livelihood  initiative  for  the  minority communities. The scheme aims to benefit the minority youths in the age group of 17 to 35 years who are school-dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like Madarsas ,  by providing them an integrated input of formal education (up till Class VIII or X) and skill training along with certification, with a view to enable them to obtain formal school learning certificate and seek better employment.  The scheme has been approved for $100 million for a period of 5 years. The World Bank has approved 50% of the funding i.e. $50 million.

Further, keeping in view the low level of literacy among minority women, their socioeconomic  backwardness,  general  lack  of  awareness  about  Government  programmes  and social  deprivation,  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  implements  an  exclusive  scheme 'Nai Roshni' for  Leadership  Development  of  Minority  Women  with  an  aim  to  empower  and instill  confidence  in  women  by  providing  knowledge,  tools  and  techniques  for  interacting with Government systems, banks and intermediaries at all levels. The scheme is implemented through selected Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) all over the country.

The Government has taken note of the educational backwardness of the minority communities and in response to schemes of scholarships/fellowships and financial assistance are being implemented by this Ministry.

This  Ministry  is  implementing  the  Multi-sectoral  Development  Programme  (MsDP)  in indentified  minority  concentration  areas  to  address  the  development  deficits  by  creating socio-economic  infrastructure  and  providing  basis  amenities.  No  any  specific  problem  has been reported any State/UT or organization pertaining to MsDP.

Further, as per the provisions of Section 9 (1) (b) of the National Commission for Minorities Act,  1992,  the  National  Commission  for  Minorities  (NCM)  looks  into  specific  complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of minorities. On receipt of a complaint, the matter is examined to see whether prima facie a case for intervention by NCM is made out from the facts reported. Based on such an analysis, a report is sought from the respondent authorities. If they agree to redress the grievance or where the plea of the complainant is not tenable, the case reaches finality. If the reply is not satisfactory, further action is taken and, if necessary, a hearing of the parties is held  in the Commission. After hearing both sides, the Commission  finalises  its  recommendations  and  the  same  are  forwarded  to  the  concerned authorities  for  appropriate  action  at  their  end,  and  a  copy  thereof  is  also  forwarded  to  the complainant.

(c)  &  (d)  This  Ministry  implements  only  one  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  viz  the  Multisectoral Development Programme (MsDP). The review of the scheme is an ongoing process. The Ministry reviews the status of implementation of projects sanctioned under MsDP, the status of utilization of central funds by States through submission of Utilization Certifications and  the  status  of  approval  of  project  proposals  submitted  by  the  State  Governments.    The reviews  are  done  during  the  meetings  of  Empowered  Committee,  Conferences  and  tours, Based on these reviews, the Ministry in recent past has written letters from Joint Secretary and Secretary Level to States for expediting the implementation of projects and submission of new proposal. Under the Free Coaching and Allied Scheme, the criteria for empanelment of NGOs is continuously reviewed.

(e) The  details  of  students  benefited  under  Scholarship  Schemes  namely  Pre-matric, Post-matric  and  Merit-cum-Means  based  Scholarship  Schemes  for  the  last  three  years  are available on the website of this Ministry i.e. www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

The  disbursal  of  scholarships  for  the  year  2016-17,  is  yet  to  commence  as  the  National Scholarship  Portal  (NSP  2.0)  has  been  operationalized  on  01.07.2016  with  submission  of online applications with effect from 15.07.2016.

The details of the coaching institutions providing Free coaching to minority students in the country during the last three years and current year State-wise are available on the web-site of this Ministry i.e. (www.minorityaffairs.gov.in).

(f) This Ministry receives proposals from the State/UT Governments for increasing number of scholarships allocated to them. The same are examined and necessary action taken within the  overall  Budget  Provision/Physical  Allocation  under the  three  Scholarship  Schemes  viz. Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-matric Scholarship Scheme & Merit-cum -Means Based Scholarship Scheme.

During the last Annual Conference of State Minorities Commissions held on 24.02.2016 at New  Delhi  organized  by  NCM,  few  States  like  West  Bengal,  Rajasthan,  Bihar,  and Chhatisgarh raised the issue of increasing the limit/financial support of different scholarship schemes of the Government for the minorities. The recommendations would be considered at the time of revision of the scholarship schemes.

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