The Union Cabinet has recently approved a 15-point programme to prevent communal incidents and take care of minorities? welfare.
It also decided to earmark 15 per cent of funds in several schemes for minorities. The programme has been recasted to focus action on issues linked with the social, educational and economic upliftment of minorities, said Finance Minister, P Chidambaram.
The Cabinet decided that 15 per cent of the funds may be earmarked wherever possible in relevant schemes and programmes for the nationally declared minorities.
The revised programme is also aimed at taking care of prevention of communal riots, prosecution of communal offences and rehabilitation of riot victims.
Under the category of enhancing education opportunities, equitable availability of ICDS services, improving access to school education, greater resources for teaching Urdu, modernising madrasa education, scholarship for meritorious students from minority communities and improving educational infrastructure through the Maulana Azad Education Foundation would be covered.
Self-employment and wage employment for the poor, upgradation of skills through technical training, enhanced credit support for economic activities and recruitment to State and Central services would be covered under the equitable share in economic activities category.
To improve the living conditions of minorities, subjects like equitable share in rural housing scheme and improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities would be taken care of.
The existing 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities was formulated on May 1983 covering different aspects for action, commonly known as the ?Prime Minister's15-point programme for the welfare of minorities?.
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