New Delhi, Mar 23 (KNN) For the skill development of women belonging to minority communities the union government had allocated Rs. 1,251.50 crore since 2019-20 to 2022-23 and Rs 1,028.81 crore has been utilized as on March 17, 2023.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Minority Affairs, Smriti Zubin Irani, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The Government of India implements various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of all strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through various 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.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) specifically implements various skill development schemes namely ‘Seekho Aur Kamao’, ‘USTTAD’ and ‘Nai Manzil’ for the six notified minority communities in which minimum 30 per cent seats were earmarked for females.

Besides, a scheme namely ‘Nai Roshni’ was also implemented for leadership development of minority women that aimed at empowering women through leadership training on various relevant topics.

About 98,240 women belonging to six notified minorities were trained under the above-mentioned schemes during 2019-20 to 2021-22. SC/ST/OBC wise data of beneficiaries is not maintained under the said schemes.

All the above mentioned schemes have now been moved into an integrated scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) w.e.f. F.Y. 2022-23, aiming to improve livelihoods of minorities, particularly artisan communities, through skill development, education and leadership training, to support their entrepreneurship interventions.  (KNN Bureau)