Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that more than 280 Inspecting Authorities of Minority Affairs Ministry are working as a “watchdog” for various development and welfare schemes being run by the Ministry and they have ensured 100 per cent honest and transparent implementation of these schemes at ground level. Addressing a workshop of Inspecting Authorities of Minority Affairs Ministry from across the country here today, Shri Naqvi said that proper implementation of various schemes of the Ministry from skill development to educational empowerment, to scholarships like “Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Scheme”, “Seekho aur Kamao”, “Nai Manzil”, “Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls scholarship”, “Nai Udaan”, “Padho Pardesh”, “Free Coaching”, “Ustaad”, “PM’s new 15 point programme” etc has been ensured with the cooperation of these Inspecting Authorities.
The Minister pointed out that the initiative of Inspecting Authorities, which had been started about an year ago has proved to be successful. This system has ensured 100 per cent honest and transparent implementation of welfare schemes at the ground level. Shri Naqvi said that these Inspecting Authorities include retired IAS, IPS and other senior officials, engineers, highly experienced people from defence services, education and other sectors. “They are immensely benefitting in proper implementation of the schemes run by Minority Affairs Minister, National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation and Maulana Azad Education Foundation”, the Minister said. He added that Ministry of Minority Affairs has completely gone online/digital. “This digital system has not left any space for middlemen. It has ensured that fruits of development are reaching directly to every needy of the society. Various scholarships are being given directly into banks accounts of students. Be it welfare and developmental schemes or Haj affairs, our Ministry has ensured complete transparency”, Shri Naqvi averred.
The Minister further pointed out that the Ministry of Minority Affairs is spending about 65 per cent of its budget on educational empowerment and skill development of the Minorities. He emphasised that the Ministry of Minority Affairs is working with commitment to welfare of Minorities through "3E - Education, Employment, Empowerment". Shri Naqvi stated that in the last about six months, thousands of educational institutions of all minority communities including madarsas, have been included in the mainstream education system by connecting them with "3T-Teacher, Tiffin, Toilet".He underlined the need to provide world-class modern education to the Minorities, for which the Ministry of Minority Affairs is establishing 5 world-class educational institutions across the country. 100 Navodaya type schools will also be set up across the country. "Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Centres" are being set up in 100 districts across the country, where various courses related to job-oriented skill development are being provided. Courses like “GST Facilitator” and “Sanitary Supervisor” are providing employment and employment opportunities to Minority youths in a large number.
The Minister said that for the first time, a record number of more than 1.5 crore students have applied for various scholarships given by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. More than 3 lakh applications have been received for “Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Scholarship”. In order to encourage the girls of minority community for higher education, the Central Government will give Rs 51,000 as “Shadi Shagun” to those girls who will complete studies at the graduation level.Shri Naqvi also stated that during the last 3 years, under the Multi-Sectoral Development Programme in minority-dominated areas, 10 thousand 649 drinking water facilities, 32 thousand additional class rooms, 1 thousand 817 school buildings, 15 degree colleges, 169 ITIs, 48 polytechnics, 248 multi-purpose community hall “Sadbhav Mandap”, 1 thousand 64 hostels and 27 Gurukul type residential schools have been constructed for educational empowerment.The Minister also referred to such schemes of the Minority Affairs Ministry as "Hunar Haat", "Seekho aur Kamao”, "Nai Manzil”, "Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Scheme”, "Nai Roushni” that have proved to be an important step towards the skill development of minorities. In about 3 years, these schemes have succeeded in providing employment and employment opportunities to more than 50 lakh people from the minority communities.