sschub - what is National Commission for Minorities ?
- National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was set-up under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
- Its main functions are development, protection of their rights and looking into complaints.
- Five religious communities (muslims, christians, sikhs, buddhists and zoroastrians or parsis) have been notified as minorities.
what is prime - ministers 15-point agenda for Minorities ?
If we think about what the minorities needs, they are Education, Employment, Houses, and protection of them from Communal riots. Here i divide the programme into 5 categories. Lets take one by one. No need to mug-up all 15 points, only try to understand the problems and what solutions the government is proposing.
a). Improving Education
1) Equitable availability of ICDS Services- The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme = for children and pregnant/lactating mothers = by providing supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral services, pre-school and non-formal education.
- A certain number of ICDS projects and Anganwadi Centres in blocks/villages to ensure the benefits of this scheme are equitably available to such communities also.
- Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme, and other similar Government schemes, it will be ensured that a certain percentage of such schools are located in villages/localities having a substantial population of minority communities.
- more recruitment and posting of Urdu language teachers.
- provides basic educational infrastructure and resources for the modernisation of Madarsa education.
5) Scholarships
- for meritorious students from minority
6) Improving educational infrastructure
- The Government shall provide all possible assistance to Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) to strengthen and enable it to expand its activities more effectively.
b). Equitable Share in Economic Activities and Employment
7) Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the poor
- A certain percentage of targets under the SGSY (The Swarnjayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana), SSRY (The Swarnjayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana) and SGRY (The Sampurna Grameen Rozgar Yojana) will be for beneficiaries belonging to the minority below the poverty line in rural areas.
8) Upgradation of skills through technical training
- Technical training to upgrade their skills and earning capability. So, a certain proportion of all new ITIs in areas of by minorities.
9) Enhanced credit support for economic activities
- An appropriate percentage of loans (agricultural loans, loans to small-scale industries and small business, loans to retail trade, professional and self-employed persons, education loans, housing loans) will be ensured for the minorities.
10) Recruitment to State and Central Services
- Special consideration for minorities in State police, Central police, Railways, nationalised banks and public sector enterprises.
(C ) Improving the conditions of living of minorities.
11) Equitable share in rural housing scheme.
- A certain percentage of targets under IAY (The Indira Awas Yojana) for poor beneficiaries from minority communities living in rural areas.
12) Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities
- More funds to States/UTs for Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), ensured major minorities consideration.
D) Prevention & control of communal riots
13) Prevention of communal incidents
- primary duties of the DM and SP. Also their performance will matter in their promotions.
14) Prosecution for communal offences
- Special courts should be set up.
15) Rehabilitation of victims of communal riots
- Immediate relief and financial assistance to victims.
As i suggest not to mug-up these points. only understand the problems (lack of education + employment + houses) and purpose (as usual improvement + more money in pockets of district/block officers) of this programme. This topic may be useful for interview purpose.
