Day 29 – Q 4.How have minority centric welfare measures performed in India? Do a critical assessment.

4. How have minority centric welfare measures performed in India? Do a critical assessment. 

भारत में अल्पसंख्यक केंद्रित कल्याणकारी उपायों ने कैसा प्रदर्शन किया है? समालोचनात्मक मूल्यांकन करें।

Introduction:

The Indian Constitution is committed both to the idea of equality and to the preservation, protection and assurance of rights of minorities. Five religious communities such as Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians (Parsis) as minority communities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.

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Measures for development of minorities:

• 12th five year plan: Aims at Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth, all efforts should be made to apply it to the Minority Sector too.
• Steering committee: Steering Committee was constituted under the Chairpersonship of Dr. Syeda Hameed, Member, and Planning Commission, which deliberated upon and reviewed the schemes of minorities.
• “Empowerment of the Minorities”: The Planning Commission constituted a Working Group on “Empowerment of the Minorities”.
• Key parameters: (I) Educational Empowerment, (II) Area Development (III) Economic Empowerment and institutional strengthening (IV) social empowerment
• Decent finance allocation: Minority Affairs Ministry has been allocated Rs 4,700 crore in the 2019-20 budget, the same as the previous fiscal. 
• Government initiatives: The Ministry of Minority Affairs took a number of initiatives in the year 2018 for the welfare of the minorities in the country. These, among others, include Skill Development, Education, Haj, Waqf, Dargah Ajmer, Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (earlier Multi Sectoral Development Programme), Secularism & Empowerment, Swachchhta and Mushairas on the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.

Minority centric welfare schemes:

• More initiatives every year: Increase the scale of key interventions by greater financial outlays across the board for brings a larger number of schemes within the scope.
• Broader distribution: Re-vamp the design, expand the scope and strengthen implementation structures of key initiatives led to efficient implementation.
• Education reaching all villages: “Free Coaching and Allied Scheme for the candidates and students belonging to minority communities” all over the country including North Eastern States.
• Pilot project for minority: Cyber Gram for digital literacy in a minority dominated village Chandauli in Alwar district of Rajasthan.
• Nai Udaan – Support for students clearing Preliminary Examination conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Service Commissions, etc.
• Jiyo Parsi – Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis.
• Nai Roshni – Scheme for leadership development of minority women.
• Seekho Aur Kamao – Skill development initiative for minorities.
• Nai Manzil – Scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts.
• USTTAD – Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development.
• Hamari Dharohar – Scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority Communities under the   overall concept of Indian Culture.

Lag in development of minorities:

• Declining enrolments: 58 per cent of the illiterates were concentrated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, which together accounted for 46 per cent of the Muslim population. Declining enrolments at successively higher levels of education remains an area of concern for all religious communities.
• Ghost beneficiaries: There are many people who are misusing with fake identities and beneficiaries are in dearth
• Health care: It is found that Muslims, among all other religious communities, suffer most in terms of healthcare, including access to medicine, maternal healthcare and sanitation.
• Role of women: role of women is still the same due to illiteracy, total fertilization rate, economic background, domestic violence etc

Conclusion

Inter-ethnic tensions, divisions and exclusion that remain unaddressed can easily become a source of instability and conflict. Dealing efficiently with minority-majority relations in the aftermath of ethnic conflict is central to achieving a durable peace