(A)
Enhancing opportunities for
Education
(1)
Equitable availability of
ICDS Services
The
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is aimed at holistic development
of children and pregnant/lactating mothers
from disadvantaged sections, by providing services through Anganwadi Centres
such as supplementary nutrition, immunization,
health check-up, referral
services, pre-school and non-formal education. A certain percentage
of the ICDS projects
and Anganwadi Centres will be located in blocks/villages with
a substantial population of minority communities to ensure that the benefits of this scheme are equitably available to such
communities also.
(2) Improving access to
School Education
Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya
Scheme, and other similar Government schemes, it will be ensured
that a certain percentage of all such schools are located in villages/localities having a substantial population of
minority communities.
(3) Greater resources for teaching Urdu
Central assistance will be provided for recruitment and posting of Urdu
language teachers in primary and upper primary schools that serve a population
in which at least one-fourth belong to that language group.
(4)
Modernizing Madarsa Education
The Central
Plan Scheme of Area Intensive and Madarsa Modernization Programme provides basic educational infrastructure in areas of concentration of educationally backward minorities and resources for the
modernization of Madarsa education. Keeping
in view the importance of addressing this need, this programme will be substantially strengthened and
implemented effectively.
(5)
Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities
Schemes for pre-matric and post- matric scholarships for students from
minority communities will be formulated
and implemented.
(6) Improving
educational infrastructure through the Maulana Azad
Education Foundation
The
Government shall provide all possible
assistance to Maulana
Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) to strengthen and enable it to expand its activities more effectively.
(B)
Equitable Share in Economic Activities and Employment
(7) Self-Employment and
Wage Employment for the poor
(a)
The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY), the primary self-employment programme for rural areas, has the objective of bringing assisted
poor rural families above the poverty line by providing them income
generating assets through a mix of bank credit and Governmental subsidy. A certain percentage
of the physical and financial targets under the SGSY will be
earmarked for beneficiaries belonging to the minority communities living
below the poverty line in
rural areas.
(b)
The Swarn Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY) consists of two major
components namely, the Urban Self-Employment Programme (USEP) and
the Urban Wage Employment
Programme (UWEP).
A certain percentage of the physical and financial targets under USEP and UWEP will be earmarked
to benefit people below the poverty line from the minority communities.
(c)
The Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojana
(SGRY) is aimed at providing
additional wage employment in rural areas alongside
the creation of durable
community, social and economic infrastructure. Since the National
Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP)
has been launched in 200
districts, and SGRY has been merged with NREGP in these
districts, in the
remaining districts, a certain
percentage of the allocation
under SGRY will be
earmarked for beneficiaries belonging
to the minority communities living below the poverty line till these districts are taken up under NREGP.
Simultaneously, a certain percentage of the allocation will be earmarked for the creation
of infrastructure in such villages, which have a substantial population of minorities.
(8) Upgradation
of skills through technical training
A very large proportion of the population of minority
communities is engaged
in low-level technical work or earns its living as handicraftsmen. Provision of technical training to such people would upgrade their skills and earning capability.
Therefore, a certain proportion of all new ITIs will be located in areas predominantly inhabited by minority communities and a proportion of existing ITIs to be upgraded to ‘Centres of Excellence’ will be selected
on the same basis.
(9)
Enhanced credit support for
economic activities
(a)The National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) was set
up in 1994 with the objective of promoting economic development
activities among the minority
communities. The Government is committed to strengthen the NMDFC by providing it greater equity support
to enable it to
fully achieve its objectives.
(b) Bank credit is essential for creation and sustenance of self-employment initiatives. A target of 40% of net bank credit for priority sector lending has
been fixed for domestic banks. The priority sector includes, inter alia, agricultural loans, loans to small-scale
industries & small business, loans to
retail trade, professional and self-employed persons, education loans,
housing loans and micro-credit. It will be ensured that an appropriate percentage of the priority sector lending in all categories is targeted for the minority communities.
(10) Recruitment to State and Central Services
(a) In the recruitment of police personnel,
State Governments will be advised to
give special consideration to minorities.
For this purpose, the composition of selection committees should be representative.
(b) The Central Government will take similar action in the recruitment of personnel
to the Central police forces.
(c) Large scale employment opportunities are provided by the Railways, nationalized banks and public
sector enterprises.
In these cases also,
the concerned departments will ensure that special consideration is given to recruitment from minority communities.
(d) An exclusive scheme will be launched
for candidates belonging to minority communities to provide coaching in government institutions as well as private
coaching institutes with
credibility.
(C) Improving the conditions of living of minorities (11) Equitable share in
rural housing scheme
The Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) provides financial assistance for shelter to the rural poor living
below the poverty line. A certain percentage of the physical and
financial targets under IAY will be earmarked for poor beneficiaries from minority communities living
in rural
(12)Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities
Under the schemes of Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP) and Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Central Government
provides assistance
to States/UTs for development of urban slums through provision of physical amenities and basic services. It
would be ensured that the benefits of these programmes
flow equitably to members
of the minority communities and to cities/slums, predominantly inhabited by minority communities.
(D)
Prevention & Control of Communal
Riots
(13) Prevention of
communal incidents
In
the areas, which have been identified as communally
sensitive and riot
prone, district and police officials
of the highest known efficiency, impartiality and secular record must be posted. In such areas and even elsewhere, the prevention of communal tension
should be one of the primary duties of the district magistrate and superintendent
of police. Their performances in this regard
should be an important factor in determining their promotion prospects.
(14) Prosecution for communal offences
Severe action should be taken against all those who incite communal tension or take part in violence. Special court or courts
specifically earmarked to try communal offences should be set up so that offenders are brought
to book speedily.
(15) Rehabilitation of victims of communal
riots
Victims of communal riots should
be given immediate
relief and provided prompt and adequate financial assistance
for their
rehabilitation.
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