Ministry of Minority Affairs ensures inclusive development of minorities through PMVIKAS Scheme

Key Highlights:

• The PM VIKAS Scheme is a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• It aims to ensure inclusive development of minority communities by facilitating opportunities in education, skilling, and employment.
• Projects under the scheme are allocated to Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) without specific state-wise allocations.
• Eligibility extends to minority communities notified under the National Commission of Minorities Act 1992.
• State/UT notified minority communities can also be considered, but their representation is capped at 5% of the total scheme seats.

Detailed Insights:

• The scheme's design ensures a pan-India approach, allowing eligible individuals from minority communities to benefit regardless of their state.
• This approach avoids maintaining state-wise allocation details, focusing instead on project-based implementation.
• The scheme covers the six nationally notified minority communities: Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jains, Parsis, and Sikhs.
• The provision for state-notified minorities adds flexibility while maintaining the scheme's primary focus.
• The information was provided in the Rajya Sabha, highlighting parliamentary accountability and transparency regarding the scheme's operations.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Central Sector Scheme: Schemes fully funded by the Central Government and implemented by central agencies.
• Minority Communities: Groups identified by the government based on religious or linguistic criteria for specific welfare measures.
• National Commission of Minorities Act 1992: Legislation that established the National Commission for Minorities and defined the initial list of minority communities in India.