(a) whether the Government has decided to provide scholarships to one crore students from minority communities each year and also to narrow down the gap between mainstream school education and the madrassa school system; and
(b) if so, the details thereof and steps proposed to be taken to implement the scheme?
MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)
(a)& (b): Yes, Sir. The Government during the last five years has provided 3.14 crore scholarships to students from amongst the six centrally notified Minorities namely, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi. Out of these, girls constitute more than 50% of the beneficiaries. During the next five years, the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) proposes to provide Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means scholarships to five crore economically weaker-section students from the six centrally notified Minority communities. This will include more than 50% of girl students. The three scholarship schemes are now being under direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode to improve the efficiency and bring transparency by removing duplicity and stopping pilferage.
To narrow down the gap between mainstream school education and the Madarsa school system, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MoHRD) is implementing an Umbrella Scheme for Providing Education to Madarsas/Minorities (SPEMM), which comprises of two Schemes namely Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarsas (SPQEM)& Infrastructure Development in Minority Institution(IDMI). These Centrally Sponsored Schemes are being implemented at National level & are voluntary in nature.
The objective of SPQEM is to encourage traditional institutions like Madarsas and Maktabs by giving financial assistance to introduce science, mathematics, social studies, hindi and English in their curriculum; to provide opportunities to students of these institutions to acquire education comparable to the National Education System especially for secondary and senior secondary levels; to strengthen State Madrasa Boards opting for assistance and to provide in-service training of teacher appointed under the scheme, for teaching modern subject of science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi, and English.
The objective of IDMI is to facilitate education of minorities by augmenting and strengthening school infrastructure in Minority Institutions (elementary/ secondary/senior secondary schools) and to encourage educational facilities for girls, children with special needs.
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