(a) whether the unemployment of minorities are continuously increasing in the country and if so, the reasons therefor;
(b) whether the Government has any plan to provide job oriented courses andprogrammes to the minorities and if so, the details thereof,
(c) the steps being taken by the Government for the betterment of minority students; and
(d) whether the Government has any plan to increase the scholarship of minority students especially for girls and if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)
(a) to (c): Unemployment Rate in usual status i.e. principal status+ subsidiary status (ps + ss) for persons belonging to major religious groups (Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Sikhism) from past Employment and Unemployment Surveys conducted by National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) during its 66th round (July 2009-June 2010), 68th round (July 2011- June 2012) and from the Periodic, Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted during July 2017 – June 2018,along with explanatory notes thereto, are given in Annexure –I and Annexure II respectively.
Besides, religion-wise details of working population and non-working population as per Census 2011, are also available at the following link –
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/Religion_pca/RL-0000.xlsx
Ministry of Minority Affairs has adopted multi-pronged strategy so as to enhance the employability of notified minorities (Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi, Muslim and Christian) by way of implementation of various schemes which aim at their educational empowerment, skill development, infrastructure support, etc. Details of these schemes are as under:
Educational Empowerment
(i) Scholarship Schemes- Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarships.
(ii) Naya Savera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme with the aim to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates from minority communities to get employment in Government Sector/ Public Sector Undertaking, jobs in private sector, and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels.
(iii) Nai Udaan - A scheme for providing support to minority candidates clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission, State Public Service Commissions, etc., to adequately equip them to compete for appointment to Civil Services in the Union and the States so as to increase the representation of the minorities in the Civil Services.
(iv) Padho Pardes- A scheme for providinginterest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies to enable students from minority communities to pursue higher education.
(v) Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities, to pursue higher education such as M.Phil and Ph.D.
(vi) Maulana Azad Education Foundation implements the following two schemes:
(a) Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls belonging to minorities in class IX to XII.
(b) Gharib Nawaz Employment and Training Programme.
Economic Empowerment
(i) Employment-oriented Skill Development:
(a) Seekho Aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): It is a skill development initiative for minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment.
(b) Upgrading Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD): The scheme aims at capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills of master craftsmen and artisans; documentation of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards of traditional skills; training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; develop national and international market linkages; and preservation of languishing Arts/Crafts. Hunar Haats are regularly being organised providing market and opportunities to skilled artisans and craftpersons.
(c) Nai Manzil – A World Bank assisted scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.
(ii) National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Schemeswhich provide concessional loans for self-employment and income generating activities for the socio- economic development of the ‘backward sections’ amongst the notified minorities.
(iii) Priority Sector Lending (PSL) by Banks.
Infrastructural Support
Besides, there is another Scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), which aims at improving the socio-economic conditions of minorities and providing basic amenities so as to improve their quality of life and reduce imbalances in the identified Minority Concentration Areas. Education, Health and Skill Development are focus areas under the scheme for which 80% of the resources are allocated. The major projects approved under the Education Sector and for Skill Development, include Residential Schools, School buildings, Hostels including Girls Hostels, Toilets and Drinking Water facilities, Sadbhav Mandaps, Degree Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, etc.
Also Ministries/Departments of the Central Government and the State Governments have been implementing various schemes in socio-economic sectors e.g. education, health, skill development etc. for target groups including minorities.
(d) Yes Sir. The government during the last five years has provided 3.18 crores scholarships to students from amongst the six centrally notified Minorities namely, Jain, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi, Muslim and Christian. Out of these, girls constitute more than 50% of the beneficiaries. During the next five years, the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has proposed to increase the beneficiaries underthe Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means scholarships to the economically weaker-section students from these six centrally notified Minority communities. This will include more than 50% of girl students. The three scholarship schemes are now being implemented through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) and since 2015-16 the scholarships are being disbursed fully under direct benefit transfer (DBT) mode to improve the efficiency and bring transparency by removing duplicity and stopping pilferages.
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