Group of secretaries recommends VC funding for minorities

NEW DELHI: Venture capital funding for minorities and deprived classes, an increased maintenance amount for senior citizens, freeing up top educational institutes from the UGC regime and a 3% mandatory job reservation for sportspersons are among key recommendations made to the PM last week by a group of secretaries for the social sector. ET details the fine print that PM Modi delved into last week:



AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
A VC fund has been proposed to cover backward castes, STs and minorities, just like for SCs. Senior citizens would be issued an Aadhaar-based smart card with credit card, debit card and health details. Other benefits suggested are ensuring a uniform retirement age across state governments, airlines and insurance companies and an amendment to Section 9(2) of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007, to increase maintenance amount from the current Rs 10,000.

SPORTS
The group has recommended identifying 15 target disciplines for Asian Games and Commonwealth Games and 4-6 disciplines for the 2024 Olympics. By 2028 Olympics, India must be aiming at top 10 performances, it was recommended. The group has proposed making yoga and sports compulsory in schools. The group has suggested that sports should be moved from being a state subject to the concurrent list. The group has suggested exploring options like online sports betting funding as in UK besides industry funding and CSR fund.

EDUCATION
Besides bringing in the English language, identifying learning outcomes at school, resource consolidation and a major overhaul of the UGC have been recommended for the education sector. In a clear indictment of the UGC, it has been suggested that top ranking institutions be ‘unfettered from “UGC’s stringent regulatory framework’. It is even recommended that institutions with top level NAAC accreditation and among the top 500 of global academic rankings of top 100 of India’s ranking framework should only be assessed through selfreporting and external peer review.

CULTURE
The call on culture is to focus on new and young artistes. It has been recommended that government scheme assistance of same artistes should be discontinued after a definite period instead of continuing year after year. The group of secretaries has also suggested prize money based cultural competitions.