15 Points Programme for Minorities Welfare Schemes

The Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for Minorities is a programme launched by the Indian government for the welfare of religious minorities in response to reports by committees such as the Sachar Committee Report, which highlighted that minorities, particularly Muslims, in the country were frequently in worse socioeconomic and political condition than communities such as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities, which have been oppressed for millennia through the caste system (also referred to as the varna system). 

It placed minorities, particularly Muslims, at an abysmally low level on various indicators such as nutrition, health, education, and so on. The government’s response to these findings was the 15-point programme, which established guidelines for targeting minorities in existing schemes and entitlements, as well as designing and implementing new schemes aimed at empowering these groups. The programme advocated allocating 15% of plan outlays for welfare schemes identified in the 15-point plan.

15 Points Plan

1. Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) – Aims to develop children and pregnant/lactating mothers from minorities and those living below the Below Poverty Line (India) by providing services such as improved supplementary nutrition, immunisation, health check-ups, and free education.
2. Improving Access to School Education — In villages/localities with a significant minority community population, implement various government schemes such as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme, and other similar schemes.
3. More resources for teaching Urdu – Assistance in the recruitment and placement of Urdu language teachers in primary and upper primary schools in villages/cities where at least one-fourth of the population speaks that language.
4. Modernising Madarsa Education — Provide the necessary educational infrastructure and resources for Madarsa education modernization.
5. Scholarships for deserving students from minority groups
6. The Maulana Azad Education Foundation is working to improve educational infrastructure.
7. Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the Poor — Set aside funds from the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana for minorities.
8. Technical training for skill enhancement — Create new ITIs in minority-dominated areas, and upgrade some ITIs to ‘Centres of Excellence.’
9. Credit assistance for economic activities has been increased.
10. State and Central Government Service Recruitment
11. Minorities should be given an equitable share of the Indira Awaas Yojana.
12. Minority-populated slums should be improved by implementing the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
13. Communal incident avoidance
14. Prosecution for public infractions
15. Victims of communal riots are being rehabilitated.

Ministries/Departments

The Cabinet Secretariat is in charge of administering the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules and 1961 and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, which facilitate the smooth transaction of business in the Government Ministries/Departments. 

This Secretariat provides Secretarial assistance to the Cabinet and its Committees, as well as assisting in government decision-making by ensuring inter-ministerial coordination, resolving differences among Ministries/Departments, and evolving consensus through the use of standing/ad hoc Committees of Secretaries. The New policy initiatives are also promoted through this mechanism.

The Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President, Vice President, and Ministers are kept up to date on all Ministries/Departments’ major activities through a monthly summary of their activities. One of the Cabinet Secretariat’s functions is to manage major crisis situations in the country and to coordinate the activities of various Ministries in such a situation.

Communities have equal opportunities

It is critical to provide equal educational opportunities for girls because this is the only way for significant social change to occur. 

When compared to other countries around the world, the female literacy rate in Indian territories is significantly lower, hovering around 60%. It is 22 percentage points lower than the global average. We can expect our country’s girls to prove their worth in a society dominated by men if we provide them with ample educational opportunities. According to the 2011 census, more than 80% of the country’s young female population between the ages of 7 and 29 is literate. 

Women’s lack of education limits their labour-force participation, stifling the country’s development. Many studies have also concluded that education received by females has a significant impact on the advancement of future generations because they typically have a more specific role to play in their child’s education than their father’s role.

Government welfare Schemes

From time to time, the Indian government at all levels announces Welfare Schemes for a cross-section of society. These schemes could be central, state-specific, or a collaborative effort between the Centre and the states. We have attempted to provide you with an easy and single point of access to information about several government welfare schemes and their various aspects such as eligible beneficiaries, types of benefits, scheme details, and so on.

Conclusion

Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme for Minorities is a programme launched by the Indian government for the welfare of religious minorities in response to reports by committees such as the Sachar Committee Report, which highlighted that minorities, particularly Muslims, in the country were frequently in worse socioeconomic and political condition than communities such as the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities, which have been oppressed for millennia through the caste system (also referred to as the varna system). The government’s response to these findings was the 15-point programme, which established guidelines for targeting minorities in existing schemes and entitlements, as well as designing and implementing new schemes aimed at empowering these groups. The programme advocated allocating 15% of plan outlays for welfare schemes identified in the 15-point plan.