The Government has undertaken several steps to encourage education among the children of minority communities across the country for their socio-economic and educational empowerment and as a result, to reduce the dropout rate among them.
Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme was approved in January 2008 for class I-X and was applicable upto 2021-22. Post Matric Scholarship was launched in November 2007 for level XI, XII and higher classes. Merit-cum-Means Scholarship was launched in the year 2007 for Technical and Professional Courses. A very large number of students from minority communities have benefited from these programmes. 30% seats in all these schemes have been earmarked for girl students.
In addition to the above, the Government has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Rural Development.
This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
