UNION BUDGET ALLOCATION TO MINORITIES

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• As compared to last year's Budget, the Union Budget 2023-24 reduced 38% of funds for the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
• The Education Scheme for Madrasas suffered the most with a decline of 93% in the budget.
  • The allocation was down to ₹10 crores from ₹160 crores in the previous financial year.

Details about the Budget Cut:

• The total allocation for minorities’ educational uplift was reduced to ₹1,689 crores from ₹2,515 crores last year.
  • Several schemes for research as well as pre-matric scholarships experiencing a fund downsizing or withdrawal.
• The Budget allocation for research schemes for minorities, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis were reduced to ₹20 crores from ₹41 crores last year.
• The government heavily cut the funds for pre-matric scholarships for minorities, down from ₹1,425 crores last year to ₹433 crores in the upcoming financial year.
• The allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJYK) came down to ₹600 crores from ₹1,650 last year.
  • PMJYK aims to provide socio-economic infrastructure and elementary amenities in minority-concentrated areas.
  • It is an essential part of the government’s Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas initiative.
• The Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women was reduced to ₹10 from ₹2.5 crores last year.
• The Hamari Dharohar Scheme for the conservation of minorities’ culture and heritage sites was reduced to ₹10 from ₹2 crores last year.
• The Funds for the Skill Development Initiative among minorities were reduced to ₹10 lahks from ₹235 crores in 2022-23.
• The funds for Nai Manzil, an integrated educational and livelihood scheme reduced to ₹10 lahks from the earlier ₹46 crores.
• The funds for the Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD) scheme were reduced to ₹10 lahks in comparison to the ₹47 crores in 2022-23.
• Government withdraws the Maulana Azad National Fellowships for higher education.
• The Nai Udaan Scheme meant to help minority students prepare for the Union Public Service Commission examinations was dropped.
• Loan subsidies to minorities to study abroad under the Padho Pardesh Scheme were also withdrawn.

Concern: the decline in funding will impact the functioning of madrasas, school education, higher research and local development in areas of minority concentration. The decision to cut funds will impact their socioeconomic development and the educational uplift of minorities.

Government Stand: It was argued that many schemes for minorities overlap with other similar affirmative plans of the government. Therefore, the government rationalized the scheme and funding pattern to improve its efficiency of the scheme and to target beneficiaries in a better way to ensure their socio-economic development.

Must Read: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/minorities