By M Reyaz, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla has said most of the schemes (of her ministry) are related to education as socio-economic development of minorities is not possible without enhancing the educational status.
Heptullah was replying to a question by Raiganj (West Bengal) MP and CPIM leader Mohammad Salim during the Question Hour on Wednesday, December 17. Salim had asked if mere scholarships and stipends would be sufficient to compensate for the backwardness of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities.
TCN file photo
He further pointed towards the disparity in scholarship amounts given to SC/ST students and minority students. He also raised the issue of Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF), which has not been increased so far, although fellowships given by UGC have been enhanced.
Demanding from the government what actions it are being taken to bring the minorities forward, Salim specifically asked if the government plans to table the post-Sachar assessment report – submitted by Kundu Committee recently – in the Parliament.
“The Kundu Committee Report is important for it will tell us if the last UPA Government and current NDA Government, which has completed six months, have done anything (vis-à-vis the minorities) after the Sachar Committee and Rangnathan Mishra Committee reports,”he said, adding, in lighter vein, “(Have people) got ration also or there has only been plane talk?”
Heptulla assured the House that the MANF will soon be brought on par with the UGC fellowships as they are linked. She said she agreed that the amount given to the minorities should be on par with that given to the SC/ST students. “I have raised the issue with the Finance Minister as well,” the Minister added.
She reminded the House that the scholarships given to minority students are “not demand driven” unlike those meant for SC/ST. She has raised this issue with the Finance Minister, she said, and is hopeful that in the coming budget, this will be taken care of.
“Most of the schemes (of Minority Ministry) are related to education as socio-economic development of minorities is not possible without enhancing educational status. Besides education, the other schemes that her ministry focuses are meant for ‘socio-economic development’ through multi-sectoral development programmes,” Heptullah said.
Other programmes meant for “economic empowerment” of minorities are implemented through the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC), she said. (Read an analysis of NMDFC Micro-Finance scheme here ).
She also told the House that on November 11, her Ministry has started a new scheme Maulana Azad National Academy for Skill and added that even the Prime Minister has stressed on skill development for the economic growth of the country.
Heptulla said that her Government’s another focus area, as promised in the party manifesto, is to protect and develop the traditional skills associated with several Muslim communities (such as weaving and other cottage industry) and turn them profitable. The new government, since it assumed power, has worked on this and a new scheme “Ustad” has been initiated for which the Finance Ministry has allocated Rs 95 crore in the current budget, the Minister added.