Budget for Minority’s Post Metric scheme woefully low, demand for increase

New Delhi:  It is observed that the Government’s minority schemes do not succeed and its impact is negligible.  According to an analysis some inherent shortcomings in the planning are responsible for these schemes being ineffective.

The glaring example of such a shortcoming in planning is the Post Metric scholarship scheme of the Central Government’s Ministry of Minority affairs.  Many shortcomings came to fore regarding its budget allocation by the Finance Ministry.  The figures of the Ministry show that the budget allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs post Metric scholarship scheme is far less compare to the budget allocated to the Ministry of Social Justice’s Post Metric scholarship scheme.  Both these ministries run similar schemes but there is a big difference in the budget allocated to them.

The Ministry of social Justice runs Post Metric scheme for Dalit students, whereas the Ministry of Minority Affairs runs the same scheme for the Muslim, Christian, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist and Sikh students.  There is a wide difference in both these budgets.  This difference has increased up to 22%.

“The total budget of the last five year allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs was about a mere 2600 crors rupees.  It’s budget was Rs.550 crore for 2017-18,  Rs. 692 crore for 2018-19, Rs.496 crore for 2019-20 and Rs.535 for the year 2020-21”, the report says.   

”The budget allocated, on the other hand, to the Ministry of  Social Justice’s Scheme during the last five years was Rs.17374 crore i.e.  Rs.2216 core for 2016-17, Rs.2820 for 2017-18, Rs.3348 for 2018-19, Rs.6000 for 2019-20 and Rs.2690 for the current year 2020-21”, the reported adds.

“The difference between the two budgets of 2600 crore and 17374 crore has increased further.  The Modi Government has decided to spend Rs.59000 for these schemes”, the report concludes.