Question : EDUCATION AND LOAN FACILITIES TO MINORITIES

(a) whether the Government has evolved any strategy to ensure better education and loan to minority and backward communities in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the basis on which Government has distinguished between minority and backward community status;

(d) whether the Government has taken any decision to repay the interest of education loan upto 20 lakh rupees taken by the students belonging to minority communities studying in any educational institutes in foreign countries; and

(e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard so far and if not, the reasons therefor?

MINISTER OF STATE IN MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SIIRI MUKUTAR ABBAS KAQVI)

(a)and(b): Under Ministry of Minority Affairs, National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) provides educational loans for professional and technical courses. To be eligible, annual family income of the student should not exceed Rs.6.00 lakh. Maximum loan amount has been increased from Rs. 10.00 lakh to Rs. 15.00 lakh for courses in India and to Rs.20.00 lakh for courses abroad.

(c) The benefits of the schemes being implemented by this Ministry covers the six notified

Religious minority communities namely Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Pars is only.

(d) and (e):Yes, Madam. Under the scheme of ‘Fadho Pardeslf full interest subsidy is provided on educational loans up to 20 lakh rupees for overseas studies at Masters and Ph. D levels for . students belonging to minority communities with the objective to provide them better opportunities for higher education abroad and enhance their employability from the current year i.e. 2014-15. To be eligible, the student should have availed loan under the Education Loan Scheme of the Indian Banks Association (IBA) and the annual family income should not exceed Rs.6.00 lakh. So far, 573 students have availed interest subsidy and Rs.3.50 crore has been released under the scheme.