Education of girls from minority communities is government's priority

New Delhi: Asserting that education of girls from minority communities is the government's priority, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said educational infrastructure will be developed on a war-footing in those areas of the country where people don't send their daughters to schools.

Naqvi, while addressing a meeting of Minority Affairs Ministry officials at the Antyodaya Bhawan here, urged them to remain alert and cautious to ensure that no "speed breaker" comes on the "highway of trust". "Ensuring socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities through '3Es' -- education, employment and empowerment is our target and we will work hard to achieve this goal," the minister was quoted as saying in a statement.

"To accelerate the vehicle of development on the highway of trust will be our priority in the next five years to ensure happiness, and prosperity in life of every needy," he said at the meeting that was also attended by Minister of State for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju. Naqvi said that "Padho-Badho" campaign will be launched across the country to encourage education of girls from minority communities.

Educational infrastructure will be developed on a war-footing in those areas of the country where people don't send their daughters to schools due to socio-economic reasons, he said. "Our target is to provide pradhan mantri scholarship to five crore students in the next five years, which will include 50 per cent girl students," he said. Naqvi said that 100 'Hunar Haats' will be organised across the country to provide market and employment opportunities to master artisans.

A system will also be developed to provide an online platform to master artisans to sell their handmade "swadeshi" (indigenous) products, he said. Naqvi said that employment oriented skill development schemes such as "seekho aur kamao", "nai manzil", "garib nawaz skill development", "ustaad" will be made more effective to ensure skill development of 25 lakh youths in the next five years.

An awareness campaign will be launched across the country to make the people aware of various educational and skill development schemes of the central government through 100 vans, he said. Cultural programmes, street plays, short films will be part of this awareness campaign, Naqvi added. He said that soon zonal coordination meetings will be organised in Mumbai, Ranchi, Lucknow, Kerala where senior officials of the Minority Affairs Ministry and ministers and senior officials of various state governments will take stock of the effective implementation of welfare schemes.