View source for 15 point Programme for minorities

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
'''Prime Minister’s New 15 point Programme for minorities''' is a programme launched by [[Indian government]] for welfare of religious [[minorities]] in furtherance of  reports by committees such as the [[Sachar Committee|Sachar Committee Report]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/sachar_comm.pdf|title=Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India|last=Sachar|website=mhrd.gov.in/}}</ref> that highlighted that minorities, especially Muslims, in the country were often in a worse socio-economic and political condition than communities such as the [[wikipedia:Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Casts and Scheduled tribes]] communities that have  been oppressed over millennia through the [[Caste system in India|caste system]] (also referred to as the [[Varna (Hinduism)|varna system]]). It pegged the status of minorities on various indicators such as nutrition, health, education et al. of minorities and specially Muslims at an abysmally poor level. The 15 point program was the government's response to these finding by laying down guidelines to target minorities in schemes and entitlements that are already in place and designing and executing new schemes aimed at the empowerment of these groups. <ref>[http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/BJP_CMs_deride_plan_to_divide_social_fabric/articleshow/2636115.cms BJP CMs deride plan to divide social fabric]. Economic Times. 20 December 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/18796.asp PM Manmohan Singh broke Indian law by trying to woo non-Hindu voters in Gujarat?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210185054/http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/18796.asp |date=2007-12-10 }}. India Daily. 9 December 2007.</ref> The programme advocated allocating 15% of plan outlays of welfare schemes identified under the 15 point programme.

== 15 Points ==
#Equitable availability of the [[Integrated Child Development Services]] (ICDS) - Aims at development of children and pregnant/lactating mothers from minorities and those living below the [[Below Poverty Line (India)]], by providing services such as better supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up and free education.
#Improving access to School Education&nbsp;— Implement various Government schemes like  [[Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan]], [[Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya]] scheme and other similar schemes in villages/localities having a substantial minority communities population.
#Greater resources for teaching [[Urdu]] - Assistance in recruitment and posting of Urdu language teachers in primary and upper primary schools in villages/localities where at least one-fourth belong to that language group.
#Modernizing [[Madarsa]] Education&nbsp;— Provide basis educational infrastructure and resources for the modernization of Madarsa education.
#Scholarships for meritorious students from minority communities
#Improving educational infrastructure through the [[Maulana Azad]] Education Foundation.
#Self-Employment and Wage Employment for the poor&nbsp;— Earmark certain percentage of [[Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana]] scheme for minorities.
#Upgradation of skill through technical training&nbsp;— Open new ITIs in areas predominantly inhabited by minority communities and upgrade some ITIs to ‘Centres of Excellence’.
#Enhanced credit support for economic activities
#Recruitment to State and Central Services
#Equitable share in rural housing scheme&nbsp;— Earmark certain percentage in [[Indira Awaas Yojana]] for minorities.
#Improvement in condition of slums inhabited by minority communities&nbsp;— Implement Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme and [[Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission]] in minority populated regions.
#Prevention of communal incidents
#Prosecution for communal offences
#Rehabilitation of victims of communal riots.

Three more schemes were introduced into the 15 point programme for minorities in 2009 namely:<ref name="Schemes Extended">{{cite press release|url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=53362 |title=Schemes Extended |accessdate=2015-01-19 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6XiqPM1Ws?url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=53362 |archive-date=2015-04-12 |url-status=live }}</ref>
#National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP)
#Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT)
#Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG)

Certain state governments have opposed the allocation of resources  based on religion and called it communal budgeting and a ploy to divide society on religious lines.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[http://wbxpress.com/wbmdfc-schemes-overview/ Various Schemes for Minority Communities]
*[http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/1242304423~~Summary%20of%20Sachar%20Committee%20Report.pdf The Sachar Committee Report]
*[http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=104086 Accepted Recommendations of the Sachar Committee Report]
*[http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/sites/default/files/amended_guidelines.pdf Guidelines for the PM's New 15 Point Programme]
*[http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Standing%20Committee%20Report_0.pdf The Standing Committee of the National Monitoring Committee for Minorities’ Education]
*[http://www.prsindia.org/administrator/uploads/general/1396339466~~Report%20Summary%209%20(SCR)%20Implementation%20of%20PM%20New%2015%20Point%20Programme.pdf The Report on the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment  on the implementation of the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the welfare of religious minorities (2014)]

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[[Category:Minorities-focussed government initiatives in India]]
[[Category:Indian missions]]