KKP

It was responded to a question in Rajya Sabha that the status of implementation of some of the important decisions taken by the Government on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee is as under:

(a) All public sector banks have been directed to open more branches in districts having a substantial minority population. In 2007-08, 523 branches were opened in such districts. In 2008-09, 524 new branches were opened .

(b) RBI revised its Master Circular on 5th July, 2007 on priority sector lending for improving credit facilities to minority communities. An amount of Rs 82864 crore was provided to minorities under priority sector lending during 2008-09.

(c) District Consultative Committees (DCCs) of lead banks have been directed to regularly monitor disposal of loan applications from minorities and also rejection of loan applications.

(d) A multi-pronged strategy to address the educational backwardness of the Muslim community, as brought out by the Sachar Committee has been adopted. The madarsa modernization programme has been revised to make it more attractive by providing better salary to teachers, increased assistance for books, teaching aids and computers, and introduction of vocational subjects, etc. This scheme, now known as Quality Improvement in Madrasa Education, has been launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. A new centrally sponsored scheme of financial assistance for Infrastructure Development of Privately Managed Elementary/Secondary/Senior Secondary schools set up for minorities has been launched .National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has prepared text books for all classes in the light of the National Curriculum Framework-2005.Thirteen universities have been provided Rs.40 lakh each for starting centres for studying social exclusion and inclusive policy for minorities and scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Under the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya scheme (KGBV), criteria of educational backward blocks has been revised with effect from 1st April 2008 to cover blocks with less than 30% rural female literacy and in urban areas with less than national average of female literacy (53.67%: Census 2001). Universalization of access to quality education at secondary stage (SUCCESS), has been approved. Setting up of new Jan Shikshan Sansthans (JSSs) are being incorporated in the revised schemes by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Provision of more girls hostels in colleges and universities in minority concentration districts/blocks is proposed under the existing UGC scheme of Ministry of HRD.

(e) Three Scholarship Schemes viz., Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means were launched and 6.89 lakh scholarships were awarded to students belonging to minority communities in 2008-09.

(f) The corpus of Maulana Azad Education Foundation, which stood at Rs. 100 crores, was doubled to Rs. 200 crores in December, 2006. The corpus was increased by Rs. 50 crores in 2007-08 and Rs. 60 crore in 2008-09. A budget provision of Rs115 crore has been made in 2009-10.

(g) A revised Coaching and Allied scheme was launched and 5522 candidates belonging to minority communities were provided assistance in 2008-09.

(h) The multi-sectoral development programme was launched in identified minority concentration districts in 2008-09. Plans of 47 minority concentration districts in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Bihar, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Orissa were approved and Rs.270.85 crores was released in 2008-09.

(i) An expert group constituted to study and recommend the structure and functions of an Equal Opportunity Commission submitted its report on 13th March, 2008. This has been examined along with the report of the expert group on diversity index.

(j) A National Data Bank, to compile data on the various socio-economic and basic amenities parameters for socio-religious communities, has been set up in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

(k) An autonomous Assessment & Monitoring Authority (AMA), to analyse data collected for taking appropriate and corrective policy decisions, has been set up in the Planning Commission.

(l) A training module has been developed by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, for sensitization of government officials. The module has been sent to the Central/State Training Institutes for implementation. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) has prepared a module for sensitization of organised civil services and it has been incorporated in their training programmes.

(m) Under Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), additional central assistance of Rs 1602.20 crore has been sanctioned for 69 towns having substantial minority population, out of which Rs.659.37 crore was released in 2008-09.

(n) Plan provision for the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been enhanced from Rs130.89 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.500 crore in 2007-08 , Rs 1000 crore in 2008-09 and Rs 1740 crore for the year 2009-10.

(o) An Unorganised Sector Workers Social Security Bill has been passed by the Parliament for providing social security to workers in the un-organised sector, which, inter-alia, includes home based workers.

(p) A High Level Committee, set up to review the Delimitation Act, has considered the concerns expressed in the Sachar Committee report and submitted its report.

(q) Guidelines on Communal Harmony have been issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

(r) Dissemination of information regarding health and family welfare schemes is being undertaken in regional languages in minority concentration areas.

(s) State Governments and UTs have been advised by Department of Personnel & Training for posting of Muslim police personnel in thanas and Muslim health personnel and teachers in Muslim concentration areas.

(t) State governments have been advised by Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Urban Development, to improve representation of minorities in local bodies.

(u) The recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Wakfs have been received.

(v) The Government has accorded ‘in principle’ approval for restructuring of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation.

(w) An inter-ministerial Task Force constituted to devise an appropriate strategy and action plan, for developing 338 identified towns, having substantial minority population, rapidly in a holistic manner submitted its report on 8th November, 2007. The concerned Ministries/Departments have been advised to give priority in the implementation of their schemes in 338 towns.

This information was given by Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister for Minority Affairs, in the Rajya Sabha today in a written reply.