(Online Course) Contemporary Issues for IAS Mains 2012: Govt. Plans Programmes & Policies - Empowerment & Development

Social Sector Initiations (Empowerment and development of the weaker sections)

Question: Empowerment and development of the weaker sections.

A. Improving Access to Education

Central assistance of over Rs. 2,700 crore was released under the post-matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Caste students, covering nearly 48 lakh students. The scheme of post-matric scholarship for students belonging to Scheduled Tribes was revised to raise the eligible income ceiling from Rs. 1.45 lakh to Rs. 2 lakh, rationalize the grouping to courses and enhance allowances by about 60%. During the year about Rs. 867 crore was released to benefit nearly 16.47 lakh Scheduled Tribe students.

The scheme of post-matric scholarship for Other Backward Classes has also been revised to raise the eligible income ceiling from Rs. 44,500 to Rs. 1 lakh per annum, rationalize the grouping of courses and increase maintenance and other allowances by three fourths. During the year, central assistance of Rs. 528 crore was released to states under the post-matric scholarship scheme to benefit approximately 17 lakh students belonging to the Other Backward Classes. The Top Class Education scheme for Scheduled Caste students has been revised to raise the annual family income ceiling from Rs. 2 lakh to Rs. 4.5 lakh with effect from the academic year 2012-13. 24 new institutions have been added to the list of notified premier institutions under the scheme thus increasing the number of institutions covered under the scheme to 205. During the year, scholarships of more than Rs. 21 crore were given to 1,674 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

An amount of over Rs. 100 crore was released to the University Grants Commission for new fellowships and renewal of ongoing fellowships for 2000 Scheduled Caste students to pursue courses leading to M.Phil, Ph.D and equivalent degrees under the Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship Scheme. Likewise, fellowships amounting to Rs. 84.93 crore were given to 3,335 Scheduled Tribe students under the scheme. Concessional loans, amounting to over Rs. 490 crore, were disbursed through the National Scheduled Castes Finance & Development Corporation, the National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation and the National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation to 2.05 lakh beneficiaries for self employment.

The authorized share capital of the National Safai Karmcharis Finance and Development Corporation was also doubled to Rs. 600 crore. An assistance of Rs. 113.07 crore was disbursed by the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation to 54,485 Scheduled Tribe beneficiaries.

B. Enhanced outlays for schemes benefiting Scheduled Castes

The Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana for integrated development of 1,000 Scheduled Caste majority villages has been revised to enhance central assistance under the gap filling component from
Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh per village. Consequently, an additional amount of Rs. 100 crore was released to the five states taken up under the scheme viz. Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Assam.

C. Vesting land rights in Scheduled

Tribes and other traditional forestdwellers Under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Right) Act, 2006 more than 12.50 lakh titles covering forest area of 17.60 lakh hectare have been distributed upto March, 2012.

D. Targeting benefits of development to the minorities

Prime Minister’s New l5-Point Programme for the welfare of minorities It has been ensured that 15% of targets and outlays for schemes included in the Prime Minister ’s New 15-Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities are focused on minorities. Under the scheme of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, more than 820 primary and upper primary schools were constructed, over 1,005 such schools were opened, more than 20,150 additional class rooms were constructed, and 2,476 teachers sanctioned in blocks and districts having a substantial minority population.

Over 11,245 habitations were covered under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme and more than Rs. 21,057 crore was sanctioned under the Basic Services to Urban Poor, Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme, Urban Infrastructure and Governance and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns. In addition, construction of over 3.78 lakhs Indira Awas Yojana houses for minorities was also taken up during this period in minority concentration areas. Upgradation of 60 Industrial Training Institutes, located in minority concentration districts, into centres of excellence has been taken up as a part of the Prime Minister’s New 15-Point Programme. The corpus of the Maulana Azad Education Foundation was raised by Rs. 200 crore and now stands at Rs. 750 crore.

E. Improving access to Education

For their pre-matric education, 55.29 lakh scholarships were given to children belonging to the minority communities and Rs. 615.47 crore was spent on this. Under the post-matric scholarship scheme, 7 lakh scholarships were awarded at a cost of Rs. 362.99 crore, 42,476 merit-cum-means scholarships were awarded at a cost of Rs. 115.72 crore. Under the Meritorious Scholarship Scheme for girl students in class XI and XII, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation awarded 17,700 scholarships at a cost of Rs. 21.84 crore. Under the Maulana Azad National Fellowship, 2,266 fellowships were awarded at a cost of Rs. 51.98 crore. During the year, Rs. 15.98 crore was released for enhancing the skills and knowledge of students and candidates belonging to the minority communities for improving their prospect of employment in government as well as in the private sector employment and also for their admission in technical and professional courses.

As a measure of financial inclusion, 619 public sector bank branches were opened in districts with a substantial minority population. Over Rs. 1,54,789 crore of bank credit was provided to the minorities. This was almost 15% of the Priority Sector Lending. The National Minority Finance Development Corporation (NMFDC) has disbursed Rs. 271.37 crore for assisting 1,05,874 minority beneficiaries.

Multi-sectoral district plans for minority concentration districts Plans for 90 districts have been approved either fully or partially. This includes approvals for construction of over 3 lakh houses, 27,797 anganwadi centres, 2,624 units of health infrastructure, 13,825 additional classrooms, 696 school buildings, 332 hostels for boys and girls, 34,553 water supply facilities, 71 Industrial Training Institutes, 31 polytechnics etc. An amount of Rs. 2941.60 crore was released to the States.

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