About the Scheme

• Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) seeks to provide better socio economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities which would further lead to lessening of the gap between the national average and the minority communities with regard to backwardness parameters.
• Under PMJVK, 80% of the resources would be utilized for projects related to education, health and skill development of which at least 33-40% will be earmarked for creation of assets/facilities for women/girls.
• The erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram for effective implementation since 2018.
• The  areas under PMJVK, have been identified on the basis of minority population and socio-economic and basic amenities data of Census 2011. These areas will be known as Minority Concentration Areas.
• It will reduce the imbalances in the identified minority concentration areas to be at par with the rest of the country.
• Note: Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zorastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

Backwardness parameters for minority concentration areas

• Religion-specific socio-economic indicators at the district level:

• Literacy rate
• Female literacy rate
• Work participation rate
• Female work participation rate

• Basic amenities indicators at the district level:

• Percentage of households with pucca walls’
• Percentage of households with safe drinking water; and
• Percentage of households with electricity.

Why in News?

• Since the year 2014-15, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has sanctioned projects worth more than Rs.17000 crores under PMJVK. It includes School Buildings, Residential Schools, Additional Class Rooms and other infrastructure in schools, Smart Classrooms & Teaching Aid, Hostels, ITI Buildings/additional facilities in ITIs, Polytechnics/additional facilities Polytechnics, Working Women Hostels, Skill Centres, Sports Facilities, etc.

Other Schemes for Minorities implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs 

Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)

• It is a 100% Central Sector Scheme implemented since 2013-14 for skill development of minorities.
• Implemented by the Ministry of Minority affairs, the scheme aims at upgrading 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.
• The scheme is implemented through selected expert Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs). 
• The scheme ensures placements of minimum 75% trainees, out of which at least 50% placement is in the organized sector.

Eligible Trainees/beneficiaries 

• The trainee should belong to a minority community.
• The trainee should be between 14-35 years of age. 
• The minimum qualification of trainees should be at least Class V. 

USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development)

• The Scheme was launched in 2015 to preserve the rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities.
• It is a 100% centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Ministry of Minority affairs.
• The scheme aims at
  • capacity building and updating the traditional skills of master craftsmen/artisans
  • documentation of identified traditional arts/crafts of minorities; set standards for traditional skills
  • training of minority youths in various identified traditional arts/crafts through master craftsmen; and
  • develop national and international market linkages.

Eligible Trainees/beneficiaries 

• The trainee should belong to a minority community. However, to promote inter-community solidarity, 25% candidates belonging to BPL families of non-minority communities may also be considered. In addition, 3% seats will also be reserved for differently abled persons belonging to minority communities.
• The trainee should be between 14-35 years of age. Upper age limit may be relaxed for differently abled persons belonging to minorities.
• The minimum qualification of a trainee should be at least Class V. This may also be relaxed for differently abled persons belonging to minorities.
• More than one member of a family is eligible for training in the same art/craft form, provided she/he fulfills the eligibility criteria.

Nai Manzil

• Launched in 2015, it aims to provide education and skill training to the youth from Minority Communities. 
• It aims to benefit the minority youth who do not have a formal school leaving certificate i.e. those in the category of school dropouts or educated in the community education institutions like Madrasas, in order to provide them formal education and skills, and enable them to seek better employment in the organized sector and thus to equip them for better lives.

Trainees/Beneficiaries

• The trainee should belong to the Minority community as notified under National Commission for Minorities Act 1992 (viz. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis).
• In the States/UTs where some other minority communities notified by respective State/UT Governments exist, they may also be considered eligible for the programme but they will not occupy more than 5% of the total seats. 
• The trainee should be between 17-35 years of age.
• Certain pockets of minority population within a non-minority district or city are also eligible.
• The trainees should belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) population both from urban and rural areas.
• 30% of the beneficiary seats will be earmarked for girl / women candidates and 5% of the beneficiary seats will be earmarked for persons with disability belonging to the minority community under the scheme.

Nai Roshni

• Launched in 2012, the Nai Roshni scheme aims to empower and instil confidence among minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, Banks and other institutions at all levels.

• The scheme is implemented through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil societies and Government Institutions all over the country.
• It includes various training modules like Leadership of women, Educational Programmes, Health and Hygiene, Swachch Bharat, Financial Literacy, Life Skills, Legal Rights of Women, Digital Literacy and Advocacy for Social and behavioural change.

Hamari Dharohar 

• This is a 100% Central Sector Scheme which aims to preserve the rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture.
• It is implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs directly through selected Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs).

Objectives 

• To curate rich heritage of minorities under the overall concept of Indian Culture
• Curating exhibitions
• Preservation of literature/ documents, etc.
• Support and promotion of calligraphy, etc.
• Research and Development.

Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme for Minority Students

• It was launched in 2008 for students belonging to the minority communities.
• Its objective is to provide integrated five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph.D in Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences and Engineering & Technology.

Naya Sawera

• Naya Savera aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates belonging to minority communities for qualifying in entrance examinations of technical/ professional courses and Competitive examinations.

Padho Pardesh

• It is a Central Sector Scheme which provides interest subsidy to students of minority communities on educational loans for overseas higher studies.  
• The interest subsidy under the scheme shall be available to the eligible students only once, either for Masters, M.Phil. or Ph.D. levels.
• 35% seats will be earmarked for girl students.

Nai Udaan

• It aims to provide financial support to the minority candidates who clear the preliminary examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and State Public Service Commission.
• The Ministry of Minority Affairs is the implementing agency and only candidates belonging to notified Minority Communities who clear the Prelim examinations conducted by UPSC; SPSC or SSC etc. and fulfill all other eligibility criteria and conditions will be considered for financial support under the scheme.

Jiyo Parsi

• It is a Central Sector Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India by adopting scientific protocol and structured interventions.
• It was launched in 2013 by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Reference:

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1848440