Schemes for Upliftment of Minorities

Various schemes, including 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), and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana (PMAY), have been implemented over.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs also implements programmes and schemes to empower the six (06) centrally notified minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains. 

The following schemes/programs have been implemented by the Ministry over the last three years:

(1) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Merit-based Scholarship Scheme – For educational empowerment of students via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

(2) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme – Provides financial assistance in the form of fellowships.

(3) Naya Savera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme – The Scheme aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates from minority communities in order for them to qualify in entrance examinations for technical/medical professional courses as well as various competitive examinations.

(4) Padho Pardesh – Interest subsidy scheme for minority students taking out educational loans for higher education abroad.

(5) Nai Udaan – Assistance with student clearance Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), and others conduct preliminary examinations.

(6) Nai Roshni – Women of minority communities’ leadership development.

The scheme intends to reach out to women through nongovernmental organisations, which will be given financial support to conduct leadership development trainings, so that women are empowered and emboldened to leave the confines of home and community and assume leadership roles and assert their rights collectively or individually.

(7) Seekho Aur Kamao – A skill development scheme for youth aged 14 to 35, with the goal of providing employment and employment opportunities, as well as improving the employability of existing workers and school dropouts.

(8) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) – Being implemented in deprived areas of the country to provide basic infrastructure such as schools, colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, hostels, Sadbhav Mandaps, Skill Development Centres, drinking water and sanitation facilities, Primary Health Centres, and so on.

(9) Jiyo Parsi – A plan to stem the Parsi population decline in India.

(10) USTTAD (Upgrading Traditional Arts/Crafts Skills and Training for Development). Hunar Haats are being organised across the country to provide artisans/craftspeople with employment opportunities and markets.

(11) Nai Manzil – A programme for formal school education and skill development for school dropouts.

(12) Hamari Dharohar- The scheme to preserve the rich heritage of the India’s minority communities under the umbrella of Indian culture.

(13) The Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) implements the following education and skill-related schemes: (a) Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls from Economically Weaker Minorities (b) In 2017-18, the Gharib Nawaz Self Employment Scheme was launched to provide short-term job-oriented skill development training to youth. (c) The Bridge Course for the madrasa students and the school dropouts.

(14) Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for the purpose of providing minorities with concessional loans for self-employment and income-generating ventures.

To ensure that these benefits reach their intended recipients, the government has taken the following steps.

• The Scholarship Schemes have been restructured to increase transparency and accountability during the processing and sanctioning processes.
• To aid in the evaluation of the flow of benefits, all Ministries are requesting segregated data for the various minority communities. The states/UTs have also been asked to provide more accurate and timely feedback.
• The scholarship schemes are reviewed on a regular basis through interaction with state governments and field visits by Ministry officials.
• The previously introduced Online Scholarship Management System (OSMS) for the Merit-cum-Means scholarship scheme has now been extended to the Post Matric scholarship scheme.

Free Coaching and Allied Program (for Competitive Examinations of Professional Courses and Government jobs)

• The scheme aims to empower minority communities by assisting economically disadvantaged students in enhancing their skills and capabilities in order to make them employable in industries, services, and business sectors in addition to the government sector. It has built-in resilience to adapt to market dynamics on a continuous basis, ensuring that target groups are not deprived of the professional acumen required by changing/emerging market needs and employment opportunities at the domestic and international levels.
• Separate schemes for providing coaching to students from scheduled castes, minority communities, and backward classes were implemented beginning with the Sixth Five Year Plan. With effect from September 2001, these separate schemes were merged into a single Scheme of Coaching and Allied Assistance for Weaker Sections, which included Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes, and Minorities. Following the establishment of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, a new scheme known as the “Free Coaching & Allied Scheme for Candidates Belonging to Minority Communities” was developed in response to the emerging trends in employment in the era of economic reforms, liberalisation, and globalisation.

Conclusion

The Ministry of Minority Affairs also implements programmes and schemes to empower the six centrally notified minority communities, namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains. The Scheme aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates from minority communities in order for them to qualify in entrance examinations for technical/medical professional courses as well as various competitive examinations. Hunar Haats are being organised across the country to provide artisans/craftspeople with employment opportunities and markets. The Maulana Azad Education Foundation implements the following education and skill-related schemes: Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls from Economically Weaker Minorities In 2017-18, the Gharib Nawaz Self Employment Scheme was launched to provide short-term job-oriented skill development training to youth. The Bridge Course for the madrasa students and the school dropouts.