New Delhi: Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani on Sunday laid the foundation stone for 38 projects approved under the Buddhist Development Plan in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Ladakh.
Keeping in view the government’s concept of ‘virasat ke saath vikas (development with heritage) and ‘virasat ka sanvardhan (promotion of heritage)’, she announced financial assistance of Rs 30 crore for the Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhist Studies of Delhi University for academic collaboration, research promotion, language preservation, translation of transcripts and skill upgradation of the Buddhist population.
Irani laid the foundation stone via video conferencing for the 38 projects with a total estimated cost of Rs 225 crore approved as part of the Buddhist Development Plan under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.
Aligned with the purpose of ‘Viksit Bharat’, the minister called for Institutes like the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhist Studies of the University of Delhi and other prominent institutes to collaborate for integrated development in a circuit to conserve the Buddhist cultural heritage and knowledge along with providing them modern education.
In addition to the event held in New Delhi, this event has been ceremoniously conducted in the respective states and the Union Territory in the presence of Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Sing Tamang, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State of Minority Affairs John Barla, various ministers in the respective states, MPs and MLAs, among others.
This was another step towards the government’s commitment to the development of minorities with the “whole of government” approach and with a specific focus on the Buddhist communities primarily in the far-flung border areas in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Union Territory of Ladakh, the statement said.
The Minority Affairs Ministry has come up with the Buddhist Development Plan in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s objective to secularise traditional theological education with an additional provision of modern education and professional or vocational and skill development courses for the young Buddhist population.
This programme would be implemented by converging various ongoing schemes of the ministry such as PMJVK, PM-Vikas, and scholarship as well as the programmes and the schemes being administered by the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation and those relevant in other ministries.
The programme includes provisions for awareness campaigns to ensure that such schemes and programmes are within reach of the Buddhist communities in the mentioned five states.
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