Minority Affairs Min launches new schemes, toned existing ones

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Minority Affairs sharpened its focus in the year gone by launching new schemes as well as toning up the existing ones to reach out to minorities, mostly Muslims.

The year also saw Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan stoking controversy on the issues of arrests of "innocent" Muslims in terror cases and job reservation for them, both of which he believes are of genuine concerns but have been denied redress due to "adverse" political propaganda.

One of the notable achievements of the ministry was the perceptible rise in the recruitment level of minorities in central government organisations as it increased to 7.37 per cent, according to the ministry.

Aiming at enhancing vocational skills among its target population, the ministry launched a new scheme ' Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)'. The scheme promises to upgrade the skills of the minority youths in various modern and traditional vocations depending upon their educational qualification, present economic trends and market potential.

The scheme will guarantee at least 75 per cent employment of trained minority youths and out of them 50 per cent will be in the organised sector. A minimum of 30 per cent seats are reserved for minority girls and women, the ministry said.

It also launched " Jiyo Parsi", which is meant to reach out to the Parsis with financial, medical and consultancy measures to help them increase their numbers.