Shri K Rahman Khan Launches Two Schemes for Welfare of Minorities
“Seekho aur Kamao” A 100% Central Sector Skill Development Initiative:
“Jiyo Parsi” to Check Population Decline of Parsis in India.
Shri K Rahman Khan, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs launched two new schemes namely “Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)” and “Jiyo Parsi” here today.
The Minister launched the pilot project of 500 minority trainees through IL&FS Skill Development Corporation at five locations in the country.These locations are Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong, Barnala and Bengaluru. Fifty five trainees comprising Muslims, Sikhs and Christians which started training from July this year were given advance job letters today to ensure employment. Referring to members of the batch from three important minority communities, the Minister assured to reach Buddhists and Parsis, the remaining minority communities.
The Minister also launched another very essential scheme “Jiyo Parsi” for containing population decline of Parsis in India. It is a 100% central sector scheme. Referring to the alarming total fertility rate of Parsis that has gone down below one ,Shri Khan said Government of India is very much concern about the declining trend of the Parsi population in the country. Therefore, with the involvement of Parsi community and on their demand, Ministry of Minority Affairs has come up with an ambitious programme i.e. ‘Jiyo Parsi”.
Here is text of Ministers Speech…
“On the initiative of the UPA Government, Ministry of Minority Affairs was created on January, 29, 2006 with the purpose of meeting the growth aspirations of the minorities as well as to ensure that the path of rapid growth on which we have embarked during the last few years remains inclusive.
• The Ministry of Minority Affairs has got the mandate to ensure a focused approach towards issues relating to the notified minorities and to facilitate the formulation of overall policy, planning, coordination, evaluation and review of the regulatory framework and development programmes for the benefit of the minority communities.
• To fulfill the mandate for minorities, the Ministry formulated and implemented many development and welfare schemes for infrastructure development, educational empowerment, economic empowerment, women empowerment and Wakf development.
• Furthering the efforts made by our Ministry during last 6-7 years for the development of minorities, today I feel elated to inform you all that Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched two new schemes namely “Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn)” and “Jiyo Parsi”.
• The scheme of “Seekho aur Kamao” is the Skill Development initiative. It is a 100% Central Sector Scheme for “Skill Development of minorities” to be implemented from the current financial year onwards.
• As we are aware that about 12.8 million persons enter the labour market every year. While India has large young population, only 10% of the Indian labour forces – 8% informally and 2% formally have acquired vocational skills. About 63% of the school students drop out at different stages reaching Class-X. In case of minorities, particularly Muslims the dropout rate is very alarming as it reaches to about 93%. Only about 3.1 million vocational training seats are available in the country whereas Even out of these training places, very few are available for early school dropouts. This signifies that a large number of school drop outs do not have access to skill development for improving their employability on one side and availability of 12.8 million jobs on the other. As per estimates of 2011, in India there is a skill gap of about 244 million across 21 key sectors.
• India is in transition to a knowledge based economy and its competitive edge will be determined by the abilities of its people to create, share and use knowledge more effectively. This transition will require India to develop workers into knowledge workers who will be more flexible, analytical, adaptable and multi skilled.
• India has the advantage of “demographic dividend. Harnessing the demographic dividend through appropriate skill development efforts would provide an opportunity to achieve inclusion and productivity within the country and also a reduction in the global skill shortages. Large scale skill development is thus an imminent imperative.
• “Seekho aur Kamao” targets the youth from 14 – 35 years of age and aims to improve employability of existing workers, school dropouts etc. belonging to minority communities and ensure their placement. It also aims to conserve and update traditional skills of minorities and establish their linkages with market. The scheme will upgrade the skills of the minority youths in various modern and traditional vocations depending upon their educational qualification, present economic trends and the market potential, which can earn them a suitable employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self employment. Modular Employable Skills (MES) approved by National Council of Vocational Training (NCVT) will be taken up.
• The scheme will be implemented through empanelled expert organization in the field of Skill training and industrial associations who could ensure employability. Priority will be given to organizations who would guarantee 75% overall placement percentage and out of that at least 50% placement should be in organized sector.
• The scheme can be taken up anywhere in the country but preference will be given to organizations which aim at developing traditional skills of minorities with ensured market linkages and propose the programme for identified minority concentration districts / blocks /towns/ cluster of villages and the North-Eastern region.
• Project Implementing Agencies will have to consider activation of mechanisms in conjunction with Industry for “Job fairs” and “Job counseling” in order to spread awareness, create choice and ensure that the poor and vulnerable are adequately catered to in the skilling process.
• Today, I am happy to announce the launching of the pilot project of 500 minority trainees through IL&FS Skill Development Corporation at 5 (five) locations in the country, i.e. Delhi, Kolkata, Shillong, Barnala and Bengaluru. One batch of 50 trainees which started training from July this year, is already in front of you. I am happy to note that the batch contains members from important minority communities i.e. 31 Muslims, 10 Sikhs and 9 Christians. To ensure employment, this batch will be given advance job letters today itself.
• I congratulate IL&FS and my officials for organizing the skill training in a manner it was expected. Ensuring jobs for unemployed youths now-a-days is perhaps the best human service. I would have been happier if the remaining two communities namely Buddhists and Parsis were also there in this batch. Nevertheless, we will certainly reach to Buddhists and Parsis communities as well very soon.
• I am sure that this step of our Ministry will contribute to the Government’s efforts to alleviate the poverty amongst deprived minority sections.
• Further I am very happy that my Ministry has come up with another very essential scheme namely “Jiyo Parsi” for containing population decline of parsis in India. It is a 100% central sector scheme. I want to assure the Parsi community that Government of India is very much concern about the declining trend of the Parsi population in the country. You may be aware that the total fertility rate of Parsis has gone down below 1 (one), which is alarming. Therefore, with the involvement of Parsi community and on their demand, Ministry of Minority Affairs has come up with an ambitious programme i.e. ‘Jiyo Parsi”.
• It is a Community driven programme which will involve Parzor Foundation, Bombay Parsi Panchayat and local Anjumans.
• The Target groups would include Parsi married couples of Child bearing age who seek assistance; and Adults/ Young men/women/Adolescent boys/girls for detection of diseases resulting in infertility with consent of their Parents/ legal Guardians.
• Under the scheme, two components of Medical interventions and outreach programmes have been incorporated. The medical interventions would be taken up under Standard Medical Protocols in empanelled Hospitals/ Clinics. The Advocacy/ Outreach programme will be driven with participation of the Parsi Community.
• I would like to emphasize here that the Confidentiality of the patients will be given utmost importance during the course of implementation.
• I have high hope that the Ministry of Minority Affairs with the support of Parsi Community will succeed in reversing the declining trend of the Parsi population. I also call upon the Members of Parsi community present here to extend their full support to us for proper implementation at the ground level so that the community may avail full benefit of the programme.
• With these words, I would like to congratulate once again the Parsi Community, IL&FS Skill Development Corporation, Trainees, officials and the staff of my Ministry for their wonderful job.”
******
AT