MIL Asia Pacific Publishing Engine

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:05PM by PIB Delhi

The Government implements various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser-privileged sections of the society. Ministry of Minority Affairs specifically implements various schemes for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities, across the country. The Schemes/ programmes implemented by the Ministry are as under:

1. Educational Empowerment Schemes

i. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme

ii. Post Matric Scholarship Scheme

iii. Merit-cum-Mean based Scholarship Scheme

The Scholarship Schemes are implemented through National Scholarship Portal (managed by NIC) which is a continuously evolving platform. Scholarship payments are done through Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under DBT mode so that benefit could reach to the genuine beneficiaries.

2. Employment and Economic Empowerment Schemes

1. Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS)

ii) National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC): It implements schemes of Term Loan, Micro Finance, Education Loan & Virasat Scheme for socio-economic development of “backward sections” among the notified minority communities by providing concessional loan for self-employment income generation ventures across the country. The schemes of NMDFC are implemented through State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) nominated by respective State Govt./ UT Administration, Punjab Gramin Bank and Canara Bank.

To monitor implementation of its schemes, NMDFC regularly conducts “beneficiary verification” and “impact assessment study” by engaging independent third-party organizations/agencies to assess the proper utilization & impact of NMDFC financing on the target groups across the country.  NMDFC officials also visit different States/UTs for beneficiary interaction.

3. Infrastructure Development Scheme
i) Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) : “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram” (PMJVK) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and one of the flagship program of the Ministry for creation of community infrastructure in the Minority Concentration Areas of the country in the sectors viz. Education, Health, Skill Development, Women Centric Projects, Drinking Water and Supply, Sanitation and Sports. The aim of the scheme also includes to boost the social and economic conditions of the Minority Communities of that particular areas.

The projects under PMJVK are considered and approved on the basis of the requests received from the respective State Governments/UT Administration. The formulation of the project proposal submission thereof to the Ministry; execution of the approved projects and operation & maintenance of the completed projects is the responsibility of the respective State Governments/UT Administration.

National Commission for Minorities (NCM), a statutory body under the Ministry was established under the NCM Act, 1992. As part of its function, it receives petitions of minorities and takes them up with the appropriate authorities/ State Governments for necessary action. Further, to promote communal harmony, Hon’ble Chairman and Members of the NCM hold regular meetings with the representatives of the minority communities. Moreover, NCM conducts ‘Sarv Dharam Samvad with representatives of minority communities to discuss issues faced by the communities and promote communal harmony.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has been implementing various skilling and education schemes for socio-economic development of minorities to make them employment ready.

Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) is a flagship Scheme of MoMA which converges five erstwhile schemes and focuses on upliftment of minorities through skill development; entrepreneurship and leadership of minority women; and education support for school dropouts.

Prior to PM VIKAS, the Ministry provided skill training to youth from minority communities to increase employment and livelihood opportunities under the ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, and ‘USTTAD’ schemes, which have now been converged into the PM VIKAS scheme. No new targets were allocated under the said erstwhile schemes after 2020-21.

A brief of these schemes along with achievements made therein is as under:

i) Seekho aur Kamao (SAK) scheme, started in 2013-14, targeted to upgrade the skills of minority youth (14-45 years) in various modern/ traditional skills depending upon their qualification, prevailing economic trends, and market potential, that could earn them suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to take up self-employment. Since inception, about 4.68 lakh beneficiaries have been trainedunder the scheme.

ii) Nai Manzil scheme started in 2015, and was implemented with an objective to benefit the minority youth who do not have formal school leaving certificate. The scheme provided a combination of formal education (Class VIII or X) and skills and enabled the beneficiaries to seek better employment and livelihoods. Since inception, 98,712 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.

iii) USTTAD and Hamari Dharoharscheme started in 2015 for targeted capacity building and upgrading of the traditional skills of master craftsmen/ artisans. Since inception, about 21,611 beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.

iv) Nai Roshni, a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women was launched in 2012-13 with an objective to empower and instill confidence among minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.Since inception, over 4.35 lakh beneficiaries have been trained under the scheme.

Ministry engaged institutions of national repute namely, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), National Institute of Design (NID) and Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP) to work in various craft clusters for design intervention, product range development, packaging, exhibitions and brand building etc.

Ministry initiatives like Hunar Haat and Lok Samvardhan Parv aim at creating awareness about the schemes and providing opportunities to upliftminority traditional artisans through showcasing and marketing their products. Since 2015 to till date, 43 such events have been organised by the Ministry across the country.

Further details of schemes are available on the website of the Ministry i.e www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

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SS/ISA

(Release ID: 2117731) Visitor Counter : 122

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:02PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durga Das Uikey informed in Rajya Sabha today that the Central Sector Scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) was started in the year 2018-19 to provide quality education at par with Navodaya Vidyalaya to the tribal children in their own environment.

Under the new scheme, Government decided to establish 440 EMRSs, one EMRS in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011). 288 EMRS schools were initially funded under Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution, which are being upgraded as per the new model.

Accordingly, Ministry has set the target to set up total of 728 EMRSs benefiting around 3.5 lakh ST students across the country. To ensure quality education and holistic development for tribal students following facilities are being provided in EMRSs: –

Educational Infrastructure:

1. • Well-equipped classrooms with modern teaching aids.
   • Science and computer laboratories.
   • Libraries with diverse learning resources.
2. Accommodation and Amenities:
   • Residential facilities for students and staff.
   • Separate hostels for boys and girls with essential amenities like bedding, furniture, and hygiene facilities.

     3.    Sports and Extracurricular Facilities:

• Playgrounds and sports equipment.
  • Facilities for extracurricular activities like music, art, and sports

4. Health and Nutrition:
   • Regular health check-ups and medical facilities.

5. IT and Digital Learning:
   • Smart classrooms for digital education.
   • Computer labs with internet access.

6. Vocational Training:
   • Skill development and vocational training programs to enhance employability.

Further, National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) has been established as an autonomous body under this Ministry to manage and implement scheme of EMRS. NESTS has organized Principals’ Conclave bringing together all Principals of EMRSs from across the country for orientation in the areas of academic management, mental health, safety, HR matters etc. and the conclave enriched their knowledge and professional skills. NESTS has also empowered State societies to impart induction training to Teacher’s towards residential culture and academic transactions.

The Ministry is implementing several initiatives in collaboration with other government bodies to provide tribal students with access to digital and skill-based education while maintaining the traditional curriculum.  These initiatives include:

i)    Establishment of Smart classrooms equipped with digital boards in partnership with ERNET, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to enhance digital learning in tribal schools.

ii)    Setting-up of 400 Skill Labs in 200 EMRSs in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) to provide hands-on vocational training and industry-relevant skills to students.

iii)     Provision of online coaching sessions for IIT-JEE and NEET, along with recorded lectures tailored for Class 11 and 12 students, in collaboration with PACE- IIT & Medical. Additionally, special classes and focused training modules are provided to support both high-performing and academically weaker students.

iv)     Allocation of a dedicated DTH channel by NCERT to enhance both curricular and extracurricular learning, including vocational education, ensuring wider accessibility for students in remote areas.

Additionally, to preserve and promote traditional curricula, regional language teachers have been recruited to support language learning and cultural continuity.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing following Scholarship Schemes to promote and encourage basic and higher education amongst ST population: –

• Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (For Class IX and X)
• Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (For Class XI and above)
• National Scholarship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students (earlier known as Top Class Scholarship Scheme): Scholarship is provided for pursuing Graduate/Post Graduate courses in the 265 top-class Government and Non-Government Institutes in professional fields such as Management, Medicine, Engineering, Information Technology, Law etc.
• National Fellowship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students: Scholarship to meritorious ST students for pursuing M. Phil or Ph.D. in India
• National Overseas Scholarship for ST students: Scholarships are given to the meritorious Schedule Tribe (ST) students for pursuing higher education abroad. Pre and Post matric Scholarships scheme are open ended and every ST student with income up to 2.5 lakh can take benefit of these schemes.

Additionally, to encourage students to pursue higher studies, instructions have been issued to state societies to cover the application fees for national-level entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE, CLAT, etc., for students studying in Class XII in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). The cost of these application fees is to be borne by the respective State EMRS Societies, thereby reducing the financial burden on students and their families.

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RN/PIB

(Release ID: 2117788) Visitor Counter : 9

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:02PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durga Das Uikey informed in Rajya Sabha today that the Ministry is implementing the schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) under which funds are provided to the State Governments for establishment of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) to enhance livelihood opportunities and promoting tribal entrepreneurship.

The Scheme also supports for the value addition of minor forest produce (MFP) at these Kendras and does not specifically promote the cultivation of Nannari plants. An amount of Rs.180 Lakhs have been sanctioned to state of Andhra Pradesh including 12 VDVKs with 3601 members which are regularly engaged in the production of Nannari-related value-added products. The sanctioned funds can be utilized for training and capacity building, toolkit and machinery procurement, value addition and branding & packaging.

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RN/PIB

(Release ID: 2117787) Visitor Counter : 6

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:56PM by PIB Delhi

Working relentlessly towards development of the National Highway infrastructure in the country, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), during the Financial Year 2024-25, constructed 5,614 km of National Highways against the target of 5,150 km for the year.

In addition, the Capital Expenditure by NHAI in Financial Year 2024-25 for development of National Highway Infrastructure reached an all-time high of over Rs. 2,50,000 Crore (provisional) against a target expenditure of Rs. 2,40,000 Crore. This highest ever capital expenditure in a Financial Year by NHAI includes both Government budgetary support and NHAI’s own resources. The overall capital expenditure increased by around 21 percent as compared to Rs. 2,07,000 Crore in previous FY 2023-24 and by around 45 percent as compared to Rs. 1,73,000 Crore in FY 2022-23.

During FY 24-25, NHAI leveraged three modes for monetization, that included Toll Operate Transfer (TOT), Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and Toll Securitisation. During the Financial Year, NHAI monetized assets for a total of Rs. 28,724 Crore. This includes NHAI’s highest ever single round InvIT receipt worth Rs. 17,738 Crore. 

NHAI is committed to build world class National Highway infrastructure across the country that will contribute not only to the growth of the road sector but will also play a critical role in nation building and advancing the growth of the Indian economy.

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GDH/HR

(Release ID: 2117781) Visitor Counter : 36

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:36PM by PIB Delhi

(Release ID: 2117773) Visitor Counter : 8

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:35PM by PIB Delhi

A need was felt to establish an organization to resolve the difficulties being faced by the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). UCBs are operating in a fragmented and uncoordinated environment, hindering their growth, stability and competitiveness. The lack of regulatory clarity, operational inefficiencies and limited access to resources and expertise left many UCBs vulnerable to financial instability, poor governance and market pressures.

An Umbrella Organization (UO) named National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) has been established as a long-term solution to transform India’s UCB sector to make them financially resilient, enhance their depositor’s confidence and establish them as a major player in the country’s financial system.

The UO will provide various fund-based as well as non-fund-based services to UCBs. The fund-based services include extending Capital support, Loans and advances, Refinance facilities, Liquidity support against excess SLR securities through Repo, and Accepting deposits from UCBs.

The non-fund-based services include Setting up IT Infrastructure for use of member banks; Fund Management/ Treasury Management Services; Consultancy services in various operational areas; Capacity building services such as training, seminars, and conferences; and Research & Development

Within a short period of time, the UO has commenced business and has started rolling out certain services to meet the urgent needs of UCBs.

The UO has launched the following services:

1. Legal Advisory: UO’s legal resource is providing free templates & free vetting for few basic agreements required by Banks. Preparation of large/ complicated agreements is chargeable but much below market rates.
2. Sahakar Compliance Monitoring Service: Automation of all the Regulatory Compliances for Banks, by integrating with Core-Banking System (CBS) of Banks on one side and with Daksh portal of RBI on other side.
3. Technology Consulting: UO’s resources are providing technology related advisory to Banks on all aspects like CBS, Cybersecurity, IT Compliance etc.

The UO has also published Expression of Interest (EOI) for setting up and implementation of;

1. Sahakar Cloud: to create Cloud/ Data Centre for the sector and reduce overall cost by achieving economies of scale.
2. Sahakar CBS: for providing industry-best, standardized Core Banking Solution for all UCBs, specially the Tier1, Tier2 and Unit Banks.
3. SahakarBox: innovative offering by UO to ensure that even small UCBs can achieve cybersecurity, resiliency, disaster recovery and backup services at quite affordable cost.
4. Sahakar Council – Expert Panel: UCBs need advice of various external experts in areas like Direct/ Indirect Tax, Audit, Treasury, Compliance and Business Development etc.

This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

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RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

(Release ID: 2117771) Visitor Counter : 12

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:33PM by PIB Delhi

This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2^nd April, 2025.

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AA

(Release ID: 2117769) Visitor Counter : 17

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:32PM by PIB Delhi

Under the 15^th Finance Commission, various components like Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (of 14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region) have been subsumed under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) to address the challenge of malnutrition. It is a Centrally Sponsored mission, where the responsibility for implementation of various activities lies with the States and UTs. This mission is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme that is being implemented across the country including in the State of Karnataka.

The beneficiaries under this mission are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers and Adolescent Girls between 14-18 years (North Eastern States and Aspirational Districts). Total 10,12,46,106 beneficiaries are registered on Poshan Tracker as on 28 February 2025 of which 44,38,725 beneficiaries are registered in the State of Karnataka with 99.61% beneficiaries verified by Aadhaar in the State.

IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems at the Anganwadi centres. The ‘Poshan Tracker’ application was rolled out on 1^st March 2021 as an important governance tool.

All Anganwadi Workers are provided with smartphones. Near real time data collection for Anganwadi Services such as, daily attendance, ECCE, Provision of Hot Cooked Meal (HCM)/Take Home Ration (THR-not raw ration), Growth Measurement etc. has been made possible. Poshan Tracker is available in 24 languages including Hindi and English. The Physical Records of Growth Monitoring have been replaced by auto generated monthly report in Poshan Tracker. These reports can be downloaded as required.

The Poshan Tracker facilitates monitoring and tracking of al Anganwadi Centers, Anganwadi Workers and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

All Anganwadi Centres are registered on the Poshan Tracker application as on 28 February 2025.

UNICEF has appreciated the simplicity of Poshan Tracker application and how it has made the work of Anganwadi Workers easier; and ensured tracking of children and mothers on key health and nutrition related information.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has applauded the efforts made by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) on Poshan Tracker mentioning the ‘Poshan Tracker’ as one of the exemplary platforms for flawlessly collecting routine administrative data on nutrition.

During the G-20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment 2023, Poshan Tracker was also showcased and discussed. It was part of the chair’s statement. The members recognized the importance of deployment of technology for monitoring nutrition and health services and early childhood care service delivery for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children and took note of the Poshan Tracker application, a unique digital platform which seeks to digitize data near-real time monitoring and enabling policies for targeted intervention.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.

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SS/MS

(Release ID: 2117763) Visitor Counter : 44