One eye on Bihar polls, Centre's Nai Manzil scheme for minorities to be launched from the state

NEW DELHI: Reaching out to minorities ahead of Bihar Assembly polls due this year, the Centre has decided to launch a skill development initiative, 'Nai Manzil', for minorities from the state.

Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla while speaking at a press conference here today confirmed that the scheme would be launched from Bihar. The date for the launch is yet to be finalised.

It is learnt that the 'Nai Manzil' initiative is aimed to bridge the academic and skill development gaps between 'deeni madrassas' passouts and their mainstream counterparts.

"It will be launched from Bihar. Because (in) that part of Bihar, there are lot of madrassas....we are going to launch it from there. Date, we have not decided," Heptulla said.

The minister said that unlike previous regimes, the present government has taken the initiative of launching important schemes from outside Delhi in order to involve the people.

She said the government had earlier launched a scheme USTAAD aimed at upgrading Skills and Training in preservation of traditional Ancestral Arts/Crafts of minorities, from Varanasi.