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Implementation Of New 15 Point Programme

  • 21 Mar 2020

New 15 point Programme for minorities is a programme launched by Indian government for welfare of religious minorities in furtherance of reports by committees such as the Sachar Committee Report.

About 15 Point Programme

  • New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities is an overarching programme covering various schemes/initiatives of the participating Ministries/Departments, and is implemented throughout the country. 

Objective

  • To ensure maximum reach of benefits of various government sponsored schemes launched  for betterment of the minority communities.
  • The Programme also provides that, wherever possible, 15% of targets and outlays under various schemes should be earmarked for minorities.

Target Group

  • It enisgaes to cover all the minorities communities i.e. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains.

Key Points

Enhancing opportunities for Education

  1. Equitable availability of ICDS Services
  2. Improving access to School Education through Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme, and other similar Government schemes.
  3. Greater resources for teaching Urdu
  4. Modernizing Madarsa Education
  5. Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities
  6. Improving educational infrastructure through the Maulana Azad Education Foundation.

Equitable Share in Economic Activities and Employment

  1. Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the poor through Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna(SGSY),  Swarnjayanti Shahary Rohgar Yojna(SSRY),  Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojna(SGRY) .
  2. Upgradation of skill through technical training
  3. Enhanced credit support for economic activities by strengthening the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
  4. Recruitment to State and Central Services

Improving the conditions of living of minorities

  1. Equitable share in rural housing scheme: The Indira Awaas Yojna(IAY) provides financial assistance for shelter to the rural poor living below the poverty line.
  2. Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities: Under the schemes of Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme(IHSDP) and Jawaharlal Nahru Urban Renewal Mission(JNURM), the Central Government provides assistance to States/UTs for development of urban slums through provision of physical amenities and basic services.

Prevention & Control of Communal Riots

  1. Prevention of communal incidents
  2. Prosecution for communal offences
  3. Rehabilitation of victims of communal riots.

Recent Government Initiatives for Upliftment of Minority Communities

  • The Ministry of Minority Affairs has adopted a multi-pronged strategy by way of implementation of various schemes which aim at educational empowerment, employment-oriented skill development, infrastructure support, etc. for the upliftment of living standards of the minorities communities.

Educational Empowerment

  • Scholarship Schemes: Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship.
  • 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 Undertakings, jobs in private sector and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at under-graduate and post-graduate levels.
  • 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.
  • Padho Pardes : A scheme for providing interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies to enable students from minority communities to pursue higher education.
  • Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme : It provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities, to pursue higher education such as M. Phil and Ph.D. In addition, the Maulana  Azad Education Foundation implements the following two schemes: Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship  and Gharib Nawaz Employment Programme.

 Economic Empowerment

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Nai Manzil : A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.

Infrastructure 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.
  • The major projects approved under the Education Sector and for Skill Development, include Residential Schools, School buildings, Hostels, Degree Colleges, ITIs, Polytechnics, Sadbhav Mandaps, Health Centers, Working Women Hostels etc.