Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Department

The economic growth and development of a country depends on the integrated equitable development of all its citizens. This Government being well aware of the fact, has always been the forerunner in protecting the legal rights of the minority communities on par with the majority and in ensuring their share in education, employment and economic benefits.

2. To converge attention on the socio, economic advancement of the minority communities, to implement the Prime Minister's New 15 Point Programme and to give effect to the recommendations of Justice Rajendra Sachar Committee, a separate Directorate of Minorities Welfare has been formed and is functioning from 1.8.2007. This Directorate formulates and supervises proper implementation of various welfare schemes for the upliftment of minorities. Additional posts have been created to the District Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare Offices so as to ensure that the schemes implemented for the development of the minorities properly reach the targeted group.

3. Education is an important tool for the development of the society and for a person to involve himself in constructive activities. Considering the fact that the minorities need to improve academically and economically, this Government have enacted a legislation providing for separate reservation of 3.5% each in education and employment to the Christians and Muslims included in the list of Backward Classes. This reservation is being implemented from 15.9.2007. By this, the long pending demand of the Christians and Muslims in the list of Backward Classes has been fulfilled.

4. The Muslim communities in the list of Backward Classes and the Christian communities in the list of Backward Classes and Most Backward Classes are enjoying all the benefits provided by this Government for the respective classes under pre-matric scholarship, post-matric scholarship and free education scheme.

Apart from this, the scholarship schemes announced by the Central Government for the minority students are implemented with initiative by this Government.

4(i) Under the scheme of merit-cum-means scholarship, the entire course fee in respect of the students belonging to minority communities pursuing technical and professional courses in the institutions notified by the Central Government and Rs.20,000/- or the actual fees whichever is less, in respect of the students from minority communities studying in other institutions are reimbursed. Maintenance allowance of Rs.1,000/- per month for the hostellers and Rs.500/- per month for day scholars are paid for 10 months. To avail this benefit, the annual income of the parents should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh. 30% of this scholarship is reserved for girls.

During 2007-08, under the merit-cum-means scholarship, a sum of Rs.2 crore has been disbursed to 753 minority students pursuing professional courses in Tamil Nadu.

4.(ii) Students belonging to minority communities studying in11^th standard to Ph.D. are paid with an assistance of Rs.3,000/- to Rs.10,000/- towards admission fee and tuition fee and the monthly maintenance allowance of Rs.140/- to Rs.510/- for
10 months. Under this scheme, a sum of Rs.95 lakh has been sanctioned as assistance to 2,876 students belonging to minority communities, during 2007-08.

5. With a view to help the students from minority communities to acquire a prosperous future through quality higher education by encouraging them to secure high marks in examinations and by promoting competitive spirit in developing academic skills, the scheme of awarding prizes to the students securing highest marks in the 10^th and 12^th public examinations has been newly introduced by this Government, from the current year.

5 (i) Under this scheme, two 1^st prizes of Rs.10,000/- each, two 2^nd prizes of Rs.8,000/- each and two 3^rd prizes of Rs.6,000/- each are awarded for one boy and one girl student from the minority communities who secure the 1^st, 2^nd and the 3^rd ranks respectively at the state level in the 12^th public examination.

5 (ii) Similarly, two 1^st prizes of Rs.5,000/- each, two 2^nd prizes of Rs.4,000/- each and two 3^rd prizes of Rs.3,000/- each are awarded for one boy and one girl student from the minority communities who secure 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd ranks respectively at the state level in the 10^th public examination.

5 (iii) Two 1^st prizes of Rs.3,000/- each, two 2^nd prizes of Rs.2,000/- each and two 3^rd prizes of Rs.1,000/- each are awarded for one boy and one girl student from the minority communities who secure the 1^st, 2^nd and the 3^rd ranks respectively in the 12^th public examination in each district.

5 (iv) Similarly, two 1^st prizes of Rs.1,500/- each, two 2^nd prizes of Rs.1,000/- each and two 3^rd prizes of Rs.500/- each are awarded for one boy and one girl student from the minority communities who secure the 1^st , 2^nd and the 3^rd ranks respectively in the 10^th public examination in each district.

6. The first three boys and three girls who secure the highest marks in the 10^th and 12^th public examination with Urdu as first or second language are awarded with cash prizes of Rs.2,000/-, Rs.1,500/- and Rs.1,000/- each in respect of 10^th standard and Rs.3,000/-, Rs.2,000/- and Rs.1,000/- each in respect of 12^th standard.

7. Students in the age group of 16-32 belonging to minority communities, whose parental annual income is below double the poverty line as notified by the Government will be sanctioned with education loans to pursue studies which have immediate job potential with duration not exceeding 5 years in the colleges/institutions approved by Central/ State Government. Women and physically challenged candidates are given preference. A loan amount upto Rs.2.50 lakh is sanctioned, commencing from the first year, not exceeding Rs.50,000/- per annum for a maximum of 5 years. The loan is sanctioned at a concessional interest rate of 3%. The beneficiaries shall repay the loan in 60 monthly installments commencing after a moratorium period of 6 months from the date of completion of the course or securing employment whichever is earlier. This loan is disbursed through Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation with a Central and State participation of 90:10.

8. In order to improve the economic status of the minorities, the Government of Tamil Nadu is implementing schemes like skill development training to create employment opportunities and by providing loans through Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation to establish self employment.

8 (i). In order to improve the skills of the minority communities with a view to help them secure employment in private sector and to establish self-employment ventures on par with people belonging to majority communities, 14 types of specialized training such as Information Technology, Designing and production of readymade garments, footwear technology, computer aided designing for footwear, heavy vehicle driving etc. are given. Under this scheme, 5000 youth belonging to minority communities were benefited during 2007-08 at a cost of Rs.2.50 crore.

The scheme will be continued during 2008-09 also at a cost of Rs.2.50 crore to provide training to 5000 youth.

8 (ii) The Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation was established in 1999 to provide loan facilities to minority communities for improving their economic status through self-employment. The Corporation is providing loans to the minority communities at low rates of interest. The loans are distributed through Co-operative Banks, Cooperative Milk Producers Societies, Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers Cooperative Societies and Tamil Nadu Industrial Cooperative Bank.

During the year 2007-08, a sum of Rs. 2 crore was released by the Government towards share capital to Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation to widen its service base and to enable the Corporation to provide more number of loans to the minorities.

8 (ii)(a) Individual loans are sanctioned at 6% interest so as to facilitate the people belonging to minority communities to establish a business of their own. Under this scheme, individual loans upto Rs.1 lakh each is sanctioned by Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation. Individual loans upto Rs.5 lakh each are sanctioned after obtaining approval of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation.

8 (ii)(b) Under self-employment programme, loans are sanctioned to the members of Industrial Cooperative societies belonging to minority communities for the purchase of auto rickshaw through Tamil Nadu Industrial Cooperative Bank. During 2007-08, loans to the tune of Rs.221.78 lakh were sanctioned to 209 persons belonging to minority community in Madurai, Sivagangai and Coimbatore Districts under this scheme.

8 (ii)(c) The persons belonging minority community who have enrolled themselves as member in the Milk Producers Cooperative Societies, are sanctioned loan upto Rs.30,000 per beneficiary to purchase two milch animals. This loan is disbursed through the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Milk Producers Federation.

Loans to Self-Help Groups:

8 (ii)(d) The banks prefer lending to self help groups in Tamil Nadu, particularly in rural areas, as these self help groups have not only improved their economic status by their better performance but have also set an example for the prompt repayment of loan. The Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation is sanctioning loans upto Rs.10,000/- each to the members of self-help group and upto Rs.2 lakh to the group at an interest rate of 4% for running petty trades through cooperative banks.

During 2007-08, Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation has sanctioned loans to 10,473 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs.20.42 crore.

During 2008-09, loans will be disbursed to 25,000 beneficiaries to the tune of Rs.40 crore.

8 (ii)(e) Every year, training in sewing and embroidery is given to 40 ladies of minority communities through Non-Governmental Organisations. The expenditure of Rs.1,80,000/- for this scheme is shared by the National Minorities Finance and Development Corporation and Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation at the ratio of 85:15. The Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation is providing micro credit loans to the trained beneficiaries to facilitate income generation through self-employment.

9. The State Minorities Commission was set up in 1989 and has been functioning since then. This commission give suggestions to the State Government on legal measures to be taken to safeguard the welfare and rights of the linguistic and religious minorities living in Tamil Nadu and on the schemes implemented for the welfare of minorities.

10. To help the destitute Muslim Women in Tamil Nadu, the Government have sanctioned seed money of Rs.30 lakh at the rate of Rs.1 lakh per society to establish Muslim Women Aid Societies in the remaining 30 Districts, similar to the one in Chennai. The Government releases matching grant to the societies equal to the donation collected by them.

During 2007-08, the Government released a sum of Rs.2.19 lakh to Chennai Muslim Women Aid Society as matching grant.

11. A new rehabilitation scheme has been introduced from the current year to provide financial assistance to the extent of Rs.10,000/- per family to set up grocery shops, canteens, tea shops etc. to the minority families who have lost their livelihood owing to communal riots to return to normal life and to the discharged prisoners of petty offences to conduct a dignified life.

For the year 2008-2009, budget allocation of Rs.30 lakh has been provided under this scheme to benefit 300 families.

12. The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme has been designed to maintain communal peace and harmony, to ensure a fair representation to the minorities in the Central and State Government employment including the public sector undertakings and to provide a fair share to them in programmes for economic empowerment. The State Level and District level monitoring Committees have been formed to ensure equitable flow of benefits to the minorities in accordance with our broad developmental goals.

13. Provision of separate reservation for the minority communities in educational institutions and employment has ensured their social and academic advancement. Employment opportunities and establishment of self-employment ventures have been enabled through skill development programmes and sanction of loan at low rate of interest through Tamil Nadu Minorities Economic Development Corporation respectively.

14. This Government which has been effectively implementing the Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme, is also implementing various welfare schemes for the minorities to enhance the educational opportunities, provide equitable share in economic activities and employment, improve the living conditions of the minorities, prevent and control communal riots, facilitate the students of minority communities to learn through their mother tongue and supply textbooks to the linguistic minorities through the Textbook society for the welfare of Minority communities.