On June 11, Modi Government announced scholarships for 5 crore minority students over the course of 5 years, with an aim to promote inclusive growth with trust among all communities.

50 per cent of the scholarships provided by the government will be reserved for girls from minority communities. Government is also expected to launch an awareness campaign, ‘Padho-Badho’ to promote education among girls.

“To ensure socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities especially girls through ‘3Es- Education, Employment and Empowerment’, various scholarships including pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means etc will be provided to five crore students in next 5 years,” Union Minister Of Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told the media.

Girls from minority communities who dropped out of school will be linked to education and employment through bridge courses from reputed educational institutions of the country.

About 10 lakh Begum Hazrat Mahal girls scholarship recipients will be identified in the coming five years from economically backward sections.  

According to the Sachar Committee,  only 4% of Muslims attend madrassas, as they grow up to become preachers at the mosque. Therefore, Madrassa teachers in the country will be trained by several institutions in subjects such as Hindi, English, Maths, Science and Computer so that they can educate the madrassa students, Naqvi said.

Free coaching for central and state administrative services, banking services, staff selection commission, railways and other competitive services will be provided to economically weak sections from minority communities — Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis, the minister said.

The minister also informed that the ‘Padho-Badho’ awareness campaign will also be launched across the country to encourage education, especially among girls from minority communities in those areas where people do not send their children to schools due to socio-economic reasons.

“The campaign will be focussed on girls. This awareness campaign will include ‘Nukkad Natak’ (street plays), short films and cultural programmes. The campaign will be launched in 60 minority concentrated districts of the country in the first phase,” he said.

This programme is expected to launch in the Month of July.

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