The Ministry of Minority Affairs will establish world class educational institutions to provide better traditional and modern education to students belonging to Minority communities. This was stated by Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs (Independent Charge) & Parliamentary Affairs here today while chairing a meeting of general body of Maulana Azad Education Foundation. Shri Naqvi, who is also Chairman of the foundation, said that 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 constituted for this purpose.The committee will give its detail report within two months on roadmap including places where these institutes will be established. The Ministry is working on a strategy so that these institutes can get started in 2018. Forty per cent reservation has been for girls in these institutions.
Shri Naqvi said that several important decisions regarding educational empowerment and skill development of students belonging to Minority communities were taken in today’s meeting. These include “Begam Hajrat Mahal Girls Scholarship” and establishing “Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre” across the country. Shri Naqvi said that the Central Government is committed to provide quality education to the Minorities. The focus is to provide better education as well as better employment opportunities to Minorities. Out of total Rs 3827 crore announced in the last Budget, about Rs 2800 crore approved for education related expenditure including about Rs 1800 crore for scholarships. Besides, Rs 650 crore were approved for educational infrastructure under MsDP. We have also approved about 200 “Sadbhav Mandap” and 16 “Gurukul” type of schools with a cost of about Rs 262 crore.The Ministry has approved 16 “Gurukul” residential schools across the country including Telanagana (7), Andhra Pradesh (6), Karnataka (2) and Jharkhand (1) and has decided to help those Madrasas providing mainstream education. The Ministry of Minority Affairs is completely supporting campaign for digital India and encouraging cashless digital transaction in the Ministry, he added.
The Ministry has given scholarships worth Rs. 6715 crore to 3 crore students into their bank accounts directly until now. Shri Naqvi expressed satisfaction over success in setting up “Sadbhav Mandap”, announced 5 months ago. Multi-purpose community centres "Sadbhav Mandap" will also be utilized for various social-educational-cultural and skill development related activities and also relief centres during a calamity. About 200 “Sadbhav Mandap” have been approved across the nation which include states such as West Bengal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Kerala.About Rs 5300 crore were granted to various states under MsDP in 12th Plan. This includes Uttar Pradesh (1200 crore), West Bengal (1600 crore), Assam (400 crore), Bihar (550 crore), Arunachal Pradesh (190 crore), Tripura (162 crore), Karnataka (157 crore), Rajasthan (140 crore), Telangana (118 crore).