New Delhi: The Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that the Central Government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been working on war-footing to ensure affordable-accessible and quality education to all sections of the society including Minorities. While addressing National Seminar of “Minority Community Teachers Association” in New Delhi, Shri Naqvi said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs will establish 5 world class educational institutes to provide better traditional as well as modern education to students belonging to Minority communities. These world class institutions providing education in technical, medical, Ayurved, Unani etc fields will be established across the country. A high-level committee has been working on fast track to chalk out a framework of these institutions and the committee will soon submit its report. Centre is working on a strategy so that these institutes can get started in 2018. The Ministry of Minority Affairs has proposed 40 per cent reservation for girls in these institutions.
Shri Naqvi said that Centre’s focus is to provide quality education as well as employment oriented training to Minority students. The Ministry has been running several schemes for the purpose. Shri Naqvi said that in the Union Budget 2017-18, allocation for Minority Affairs Ministry has been increased to Rs 4195.48 crore for 2017-18. This is Rs 368.23 crore more than 2016-17 Budget of Rs 3827.25 crore with an increase of about 9.6 per cent. More than 70 per cent of this Budget would be utilised for educational empowerment of Minorities and job-oriented programmes for them.
The Minister informed that hundreds of crores of rupees has been provided for various scholarships and skill development schemes such as “Seekho aur Kamao”, “Nai Manzil”, “Nai Roushni”, “Usttad”, “Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre” and “Begum Hazrat Mahal Scholarship for Girls”. Besides this, funds under Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) will also be utilised for various educational development activities. Rs 393.54 crore has been given for Merit-cum-Means based scholarship; Rs 950 crore for pre-matric scholarship; Rs 550 crore for post-matric scholarship; Rs 250 crore for “Seekho aur Kamao (with an increase of Rs 40 crore compared to last budget); Rs 176 crore for “Nai Manzil” (with an increase of Rs 56 crore compared to last budget); Rs 113 crore for Maulana Azad Education Foundation; Rs 170 crore as equity for NMDFC.
Shri Naqvi said that for 2017-18, the Ministry has set a target to provide scholarships to about 35 lakh students. Employment oriented training will be provided to more than 2 lakh youths belonging to Minority communities. The Government has also approved 16 “Gurukul” type residential schools across the country and decided to help those Madrasas who are also providing mainstream education.
Shri Naqvi informed about the Ministry’s efforts for educational empowerment of Minorities include establishing “Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre”, “Begum Hazrat Mahal Scholarship” for girls, and establishing 500 quality residential schools and job-oriented skill development centres.
