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It is a matter of serious concern that certain social groups particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes, minorities and other backward classes have either historically been on the fringes of the society or have been marginalised due to various socio-economic forces. In order to ensure their place in society, a multi-pronged strategy for social, educational and economical empowerment has been adopted. The Government in its National Common Minimum Programme made a commitment to ensure social justice for identified vulnerable sections of the society. The agenda for the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment includes the need for an affirmative action along with reservation for Scheduled Caste youth in the private sector and socio economic empowerment of minorities through an additional allocation to the Minorities Development & Finance Corporation. The Ministry is making constant endeavour to ensure that private sector plays a clear role in promoting employment opportunities for youths belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, To accelerate the efforts in this direction, the Ministry has held preliminary consultations with the leading jurists, economists, academicians and political parties, to ascertain their views on the issue. There was unanimity among all about the need for affirmative action including reservations in Private Sector. Shri Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons Limited in his letter addressed to the Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment has assured the Industry’s support to the Government for providing greater economic opportunities to the disadvantaged sections. A very significant step forward has been that for the first time the captains of Industry and Trade organizations have overcome their initial opposition to the need of affirmative action and recognised that merit is not a natural phenomenon but shaped by social circumstances and have agreed to create an environment where youth from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes may emerge as meritorious as any other youth when they enter their economic productive years. They have also stated that this is a first step in demonstrating Industry support to the Government in creating economic opportunities to the disadvantaged.
An amount of Rs. 394.26 crore was released to States as Special Central Assistance to Special Component Plan for SCs against the outlay of Rs. 376.98 crore, indicating 104.6 per cent achievement in financial terms. As a result of sustained efforts taken for composite economic development of Scheduled Castes, the literacy rate among the Scheduled Castes has increased by 17.28 percent over the last decennial and due to job reservation in the Government Sector as well as availability of easy credit at the concessional rates, the numbers below the poverty line have fallen over 11 per cent in the recent years.
The Ministry has continued sustained efforts towards educational and economic development of the Scheduled Castes through the schematic interventions, benefiting about 24 lakh SC students with Post-Matric Scholarship for pursuing studies beyond matriculation in recognized institutions. Similarly, 5.99 lakh children of those engaged in unclean occupations i.e. scavenger, flyers and tanners were provided with Pre Matric Scholarship for pursuing education up to matriculation level which is highest in last five years. Under the Scheme of National Overseas Scholarships, 20 awards (17 for SCs, 2 for Denotified Nomadic, Semi-Nomadic Tribes and 1 for traditional artisans) are allocated per year for pursuing higher studies abroad in the specified fields of engineering, technology and science. The scheme has been extended up to year 2007 with an enhancement in rates of annual maintenance allowance and enhancement of the family/individual income ceiling Rs.18,000/- per month. Number of candidates coached for Civil Service Examinations, State Civil Services, Bank, LIC, Staff Selection Commission, entrance exams for medical, engineering and other scientific and high-tech posts under the scheme for Coaching and Allied Assistance for SCs, OBCs and Minorities, increased substantially from 7030 into 2003-04 to 11905 during 2004-05. Scholarships amounting to Rs.33.80 lakh were distributed in 2004-05 among SC/ST students under the Dr. Ambedkar National Scholarship Scheme for meritorious students belonging to SC/ST.
Development of Minorities
The promises made in National Common Minimum Programme for promoting socio economic development of Minorities include the following : -
· To establish a National Commission to recommend measures for welfare of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities.
· To provide adequate funds to the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation to ensure its effective functioning.
· To provide Constitutional status to National Commission for Minorities.
In pursuance of the commitment made in the National Common Minimum Programme, the Government has been seized of the welfare needs of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities and has constituted a National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities to determine the criteria in identification of socially and economically backward sections among religious and linguistic minorities. The said commission has started functioning from March 2005. The authorized share of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation has been increased from Rs.500 crore to Rs.650 crore. The Corporation was given an equity support of Rs.73.65 crore which is the highest in the last ten year. The Cabinet approved the proposal to grant constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities, which would infuse greater confidence among the minorities about the working and the effectiveness of the Commission. The two Bills, namely, Constitution (103rd Amendment) Bill, 2004 and National Commission for Minorities (Repeal) Bill, 2004 have been introduced in the Lok Sabha during the month of December, 2004 for granting Constitutional status to the National Commission for Minorities.
Further, in order to ensure the educational empowerment among the educationally backward minorities, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation has released grant-in-aid of Rs.12.03 to 102 NGOs during the year 2005 which is the highest number for any given year. The Foundation has also increased the number of scholarships to meritorious girls belonging to educationally backward minorities from 1200 to 3000. For the first time the Maulana Azad Literacy Award was given to three educational institutions for the commendable work in the field of minority education.
With a view to give impetus to the special needs of the weaker and vulnerable sections of the society, five dedicated Apex Finance and Development Corporations of the Ministry i.e. National Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation, National Safai Karamcharis Finance Development Corporation, National Minorities Finance Development Corporation, National Backward Classes Finance Development Corporation and National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation has so far provided concessional Credit loans to 13,71,480 beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Caste (4,17,191), Safai Karamcharies (81,468), other backward classes (5,99,531), minorities (2,53,000) and disabled (20,290), for establishment of income generating viable projects. Recognising that women belonging to weaker, deprived and marginalised sections of the society are even more vulnerable, the Micro Financing Scheme of Apex Finance Corporations provides Micro Credit at the concessional rates to the women belonging to Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and minorities. National Scheduled Caste Finance Development Corporation has so far provided concessional credit loans to 78,829 and 50962 SC females under Micro Credit Finance and Mahilla Samriddhi Yojana respectively for undertaking viable income generating projects. The Micro Financing Scheme of National Minorities Development Corporation has benefited about 44,804 women in the form of SHG and 57,875 women for establishment of self-employment ventures. On the occasion of International Women’s Day on 8th March 2005 for the first time a function was organised in which 25 successful women entrepreneurs belonging to Scheduled Castes, Safai Karamcharis, Other Backward Classes, Minorities and Disabled were honoured. They were advanced loans by the five Apex corporations of the Ministry. This was a step towards affirmative action to facilitate their rehabilitation and integration in society.
Two special camps were organised in the remote and militancy prone areas of Jammu & Kashmir during the months of March and June 2005 to promote physical, social and psychological rehabilitation of, persons with disabilities, particularly personal mobility. In the said camps about 800 assistive devices in the form of tricycles, wheel-chairs, walk sticks, artificial limps and churches were distributed to the beneficiaries which would enhance their economic potential by reducing the effects of disability. About 640 disabled persons were also examined by the Professionals. This in addition to a total of about 3 lakh persons being similarly assisted in whole country particularly the hitherto less covered areas such as the North-East. Such interventions on the part of the Ministry are aimed at ensuring balanced regional growth.
*Inputs from Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
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