Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Minority Affairs, here today formally launched two new schemes for the welfare of minority communities: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship for Students from Minority Communities; and the Scheme for Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards.

The objective of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship for Students from Minority Communities is to provide integrated five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified by the Central Government to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph.D. The scheme will cover all Universities/ Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) and section 3 of the UGC Act and will be implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) through UGC for students belonging to the minority communities. The fellowship under National Fellowship will be on the pattern of UGC Fellowships awarded to research students pursuing regular and full time M. Phil and Ph.D courses. The fellowship holders under this scheme will be known as MoMA scholars.The total number of fellowships each year will be 756. In case of non-availability of adequate number of candidates, the number of fellowships not availed during a year will be carried forward to the next academic session. 30% of the fellowship shall be earmarked for women students; remaining 70% will be general. In case there are shortage of women candidates, the fellowship can be passed on to male students of the same minority community. The reservation for differently- abled students shall be made as per the UGC norms. UGC will notify the scheme by inserting suitable advertisement in the Press and other media.

The rate of fellowship for JRF and SRF will be at par with the UGC Fellowship as amended from time to time. Presently these rates are as follows:

The broad objectives of the Scheme for Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards are:

• Ensuring proper survey and cross checking of Wakf data from various computer data bases maintained at the state level, such as by Revenue Departments etc.
• Improving office efficiency and preparation of timely reports on various administrative matters.
• Creation of a centralized and web-enabled data base for use by various stake holders.
• Properties Registration Management of Wakf Boards.
• Muttawalli Returns Management system.
• Leasing of Properties Management system.
• Litigations Tracking Management system.
• Documents Archiving & Retrieval Management system.

The scheme of computerization is uniformly to be applicable across all the 29 State Waqf Boards and any other Wakf Board like J&K, making a special request for funding subject to availability of funds. The Scheme is to be implemented during the Plan period 2009-10 to 2011-12 at a total cost of Rs.. 22.84 crore. The computerization would introduce implementation of a web based centralized application module for Wakf Management. The scheme will be implemented by National Informatics Centre (NIC) on turnkey basis. Funds will be released to NIC or their nominee and to the State Wakf Boards directly for effective implementation. Utilisation Certificates will be routed through State Governments by the Wakf Boards concerned after due expenditure.

The need for such a scheme has arisen because although Wakf properties are spread out all over the country but even the basic survey of waqf properties has not been done in most States. There is hardly any development of waqf properties and a very substantial income that the waqf properties could have generated for the welfare schemes of the community are lost because of non-development and large scale encroachment of waqf properties.Therefor e, to streamline record keeping, introduce transparency, and to computerize the various functions/processes of the Wakf Boards and to develop a single web based centralized application, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf, in its Ninth Report, recommended computerization of the records of the State Waqf Boards and Central financial assistance to the these Boards.