National

Khurshid for more pre-matric scholarships for minorities

NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid has set for himself an ambitious target of quadrupling the number of pre-matriculation scholarships being offered to minorities, from roughly 6 lakh disbursed last year to 30 lakh this year. And for the first time, under a new scheme, scholarships for pursuing a Ph.D. will be offered to 600 students.

Speaking to journalists here on Friday, Mr. Khurshid said he was very confident that in the next five years, minority communities — whether they be Muslims in some districts, Buddhists in Kashmir, Parsis in Mumbai and Gujarat, or others — will see a “palpable” difference in the opportunities and amenities available.

While opportunities in education will be one of the main thrust areas, what the Minister hopes will take off is the special scheme for 90 identified districts in the country — shortlisted on the basis of a significant presence of minorities and then identified on the basis of general backwardness — where health, sanitation, water, electricity, and education facilities are to be upgraded.

“It will be a massive intervention with a multi-layered monitoring mechanism. It is bound to have an impact on the lives of the people. What the government needs to do urgently is to spread the message that these funds are available, and they must use them to their advantage. I am confident that there will be a palpable difference …,” he said.

In the 90 identified districts with a “development deficit,” district magistrates will plan on improving facilities and amenities; the plan will then come to the Ministry.

“We will check on the development deficit and the plan to remedy this, and then approve,” Mr. Khurshid said, making it clear that he did not want to “make a splash” with any announcements for the first 100 days of the new government. “But, I will send my report to the Prime Minister on what the Ministry has done and intends to do.”

He pointed out that in the last two financial years, the scholarship scheme had encountered some problems, with State governments not coming up with their part of the funds and not making the money available to students on time.

This, he was quick to add, was not because of “politics” or a “lack of will” of the State governments, but related more to the lack of efficient administration.

To identify scholars and ensure disbursement of some 30 lakh scholarships per year would need a system that would ensure a smooth transfer of scholarship money to students.

For pre-matriculation scholarships, 25 per cent of the funding would be by state governments, while 75 per cent would come from the Centre. For the post-matriculation scholarships going up to Ph.D. level, the entire amount would be given by the Centre.

This, Mr. Khurshid hoped, would open new opportunities and create a sense of “empowerment” without creating any negative fallout that goes along with reservation.

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