Scholarships to 5 crore minority students in next 5 years: Naqvi

New Delhi: Several scholarships such as pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means will be provided to 5 crore students from minority communities, including 50 per cent girls, in the next five years, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Tuesday.

The Minority Affairs Minister chaired the 112th governing body and 65th general body meetings of Maulana Azad Education Foundation at Antyodaya Bhawan here. He said the Modi government has created an atmosphere of healthy inclusive growth by eradicating the "disease of communalism" and appeasement politics. While chairing the meeting, Naqvi said the Centre has proved to be a "government of authority, justice and integrity". The Modi government is a dispensation committed to "samaveshi vikas, sarvsparshi vishwas (inclusive growth with trust)".

Naqvi said girls from minority communities who have dropped out of school will be linked to education and employment through "bridge courses" from reputed educational institutions of the country. Madrassa teachers across the country will be trained by various institutions in mainstream subjects such as Hindi, English, Maths, Science and Computer so that they can impart mainstream education to the madrassa students, Naqvi told reporters after the meeting. The madrassa programme will be launched next month, he said.

To ensure socio-economic and educational empowerment of minorities, especially girls through '3Es' -- education, employment and empowerment -- various scholarships such as pre-matric, post-matric and merit-cum-means will be provided to 5 crore students, including 50 per cent girls, in the next five years, he said. This includes more than 10 lakh Begum Hazrat Mahal girls scholarship in the next five years for economically weaker sections.

Naqvi also said schools, colleges, ITIs, polytechnics, girls hostels, gurukul-type residential schools and common service centres are being constructed on a war-footing under the Pradhanmantri Jan Vikas Karykram (PMJVK) in areas devoid of educational infrastructure. The 'Padho-Badho' awareness campaign will be launched across the country to encourage education, especially among girls from minority communities from those areas where people do not send their children to schools due to socio-economic reasons, the minister said.

"The campaign will be focussed on girls. This awareness campaign will include 'Nukkad Natak' (street plays), short films and cultural programmes. The campaign will be launched in 60 minority concentrated districts of the country in the first phase," he said. Naqvi said free coaching for central and state administrative services, banking services, staff selection commission, railways and other competitive services will be provided to economically weak sections from minority communities -- Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists and Parsis.