Schemes for The Welfare of the Minorities
The Government is implementing various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every section of the society including minorities especially economically weaker & downtrodden sections all over the country with schemes like Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana, etc.
Ministry of Minority Affairs also implements programmes/schemes for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the six (06) centrally notified minority communities namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains. These schemes/programmes implemented by the Ministry during last two years in brief are as under:-
(1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme – For educational empowerment of students through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.
(2) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme – Provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance.
(3) Naya Savera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme – The Scheme aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates belonging to minority communities for qualifying in entrance examinations of technical/ medical professional courses and various Competitive examinations.
(4) Padho Pardesh – Scheme of interest subsidy to students of minority communities on educational loans for overseas higher studies.
(5) Nai Udaan – Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.
(6) Nai Roshni – Leadership development of women belonging to minority communities.
(7) Seekho Aur Kamao – Skill development scheme for youth of 14 – 35 years age group and aiming at providing employment and employment opportunities, improving the employability of existing workers, school dropouts etc.
(8) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) – Being Implemented to provide basic infrastructure such as Schools, Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, Hostels, Sadbhav Mandap, Skill Development Centres, Drinking water and Sanitation facilities, Primary Health Centres etc. in deprived areas of the Country.
(9) Jiyo Parsi – Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India.
(10) USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development). Hunar Haat are being organised across the Country to provide employment opportunities and markets to artisans/craftsmen..
(11) Nai Manzil – A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts.
(12) Hamari Dharohar- A scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture.
(13) Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) implements education and skill related schemes as follows:- (a) Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls belonging to the economically weaker sections of Minorities (b) Gharib Nawaz Self Employment Scheme started in 2017-18 for providing short term job oriented skill development training to youth (c) Bridge Course for madarsa students & school dropouts.
(14) Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for providing concessional loans to minorities for self-employment and income generating ventures.
In addition to the above, the Ministry also implements schemes for strengthening State Waqf Boards.
The details of the schemes (S. No.1 to 12) mentioned above and status of their implementation are available on the website of this Ministry (www.minorityaffairs.gov.in) and those at serial No.(13) and (14) are available on the website of MAEF (www.maef.nic.in) and NMDFC (www.nmdfc.org) respectively.
During the last 7 years, achievements made under the major Schemes of the Ministry are given as under:
(i) More than 4.52 crore beneficiaries have been provided different scholarships through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) out of which more than 53% beneficiaries are female.
(ii) 69,544 candidates have been benefitted under the Naya Savera scheme and 3.92 lakh beneficiaries have been trained/allocated under the Seekho aur Kamao scheme.
(iii) Under USTTAD Scheme, Ministry has organised 28 “Hunar Haats” in which more than 5.5 lakhs artisans and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities, out of which more than 50% beneficiaries are women.
(iv) Under the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram” (PMJVK) more than 43 thousand basic infrastructure projects have been created such as schools, colleges, hostels, community centres, common service centres, ITIs, Polytechnics, Girls Hostels, Sadbhavana Mandap, Hunar Hub etc in backward Minority concentrated areas across the country.
No state-wise allocation of funds is made in the Budget of this Ministry. Scheme-wise details of the funds released/utilised to meet the scheme objectives and number of beneficiaries under various schemes during the last two years and current year i.e. 2019-20 to 2021-22 (till 30.06.2021) is at Annexure.
In order to ensure that the benefits of the schemes implemented for minorities actually reach the intended beneficiaries, the scholarship amount/financial assistance under various schemes of the Ministry is released directly into the account of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode. PIAs who implement the welfare schemes of this Ministry are also required to pay the stipend amount directly into the account of the beneficiaries through PFMS.
Annexure
| S.No. | Schemes | Expenditure (Rs. in Crores)* | No of Beneficiaries* |
| 1 | Pre-Matric Scholarship | 2670.75 | 10614317 |
| 2 | Post-Matric Scholarship | 942.21 | 1391274 |
| 3 | Merit-cum-Means | 700.09 | 235973 |
| 4 | Maulana Azad National Fellowship | 203.50 | 1726 |
| 5 | Interest subsidy on educational loans on overseas studies | 34.62 | 8013 |
| 6 | Free Coaching and Allied schemes | 32.41 | 14880 |
| 7 | Support for students clearing Prelims- | 12.17 | 2371 |
| 8 | Skill Development Initiative | 371.06 | 99100 |
| 9 | USTTAD (Hunar Haat) | 113.07 | 6930 (17 Hunar Haats organized) |
| 10 | Nai Manzil | 99.79 | Education Certificate issued: 18736 Skill Certified: 24324 Placed: 3913 |
| 11 | Equity of NMDFC
| 270.00 | 308361 |
| 12 | Leadership development of Minority Women | 13.31 | 40300 |
| 13 | Maulana Azad Education Foundation – | 108.42 | 545550 |
| 14 | Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram | 2963.79 | The projects under PMJVK are community assets |
* Figures are provisional
This information was given by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in the Lok Sabha on July 22, 2021.
