Miscellaneous Schemes under Ministry of Minority Affairs

🎓 Scholarship Schemes for Minority Students: Nurturing Education, Ensuring Equity

When a government sets out to promote inclusive growth, one of the most critical instruments it uses is education. However, access to education in India is deeply affected by socio-economic inequalities — especially for minority communities.

To counter this, the Ministry of Minority Affairs runs a series of centrally funded scholarship schemes that act as financial cushions for eligible students. These schemes aim not just to fund education but to remove systemic barriers that prevent minority students from reaching their full potential.

✅ Quick Overview

• Type: All schemes are Central Sector Schemes, fully funded and implemented by the Union Government.
• Target Group: Students belonging to notified minority communities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Jains).
• Gender Inclusion: 30% of total scholarships are reserved for girl students, ensuring gender equity in access.

1. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme (launched 2008)

This scheme targets students before they enter higher secondary education, particularly those in Class IX and X.

🎯 Eligibility:

• Must have scored 50% or more in the previous examination.
• Parental income should not exceed ₹1 lakh/year.

📌 Update: The scheme no longer covers students from Class I to VIII — it is now restricted to Classes IX and X only. This change was made to improve targeting and reduce duplication with other school-level subsidies.

2. Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme (launched 2007)

This scheme supports minority students in higher secondary and beyond.

🎯 Eligibility:

• Must have scored 50% or more in the previous year’s exam.
• Parental income must not exceed ₹2 lakh/year.

📘 Coverage: From Class XI all the way to M.Phil. and PhD, including:

• Technical diploma courses,
• Vocational training,
• Undergraduate and postgraduate education.

This broad coverage makes it a critical enabler for professional advancement among economically weaker minorities.

3. Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme (launched 2007)

This scheme focuses specifically on professional and technical education, which tends to be costlier.

🎯 Eligibility:

• Minimum 50% marks in the previous qualifying exam.
• Parental income must not exceed ₹2.5 lakh/year.

📘 Applicable For:

• Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in fields like Engineering, Medicine, Law, Management, etc.
• Only in recognized institutions.

This scheme reflects the principle of “equity in opportunity” — where merit is recognised but means are supplemented.

Jiyo Parsi Scheme: Reversing the Decline of a Micro-Community

Let’s now turn to a very unique and socially sensitive intervention — the Jiyo Parsi Scheme.

India is a land of diverse faiths and communities. While some communities battle poverty, others battle extinction. The Parsi community — though historically affluent, progressive, and urban — has been facing a sharp population decline for decades due to:

• Late marriages,
• Low fertility rates,
• Voluntary childlessness,
• Emigration.

In response, the Government of India launched the Jiyo Parsi Scheme in 2013-14, an affectionate yet scientific programme aimed at stabilizing and supporting the growth of the Parsi population.

✅ Key Features

• Type: Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by GoI)
• Goal: To reverse the demographic decline and support the reproductive and social well-being of Parsi families.

It uses a multi-pronged strategy involving social counselling, reproductive technologies, and financial support.

🔍 Components of Jiyo Parsi Scheme

1. Advocacy

A unique and progressive component, focused on:

• Marriage Counselling: Encouraging timely marriage among Parsis.
• Fertility Counselling: Addressing reproductive health and fertility-related taboos.
• Family Counselling: Promoting parenthood as a valued life choice.
• Elderly Counselling: Fostering intergenerational support.

2. Health of Community

To reduce the financial burden of raising children and improve quality of life:

• Financial support for crèche and childcare
• Assistance to elderly Parsis, ensuring social security

3. Medical Assistance

This is the most science-driven component, providing:

• Financial aid for Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) — including IVF and other fertility treatments.

This is crucial, as infertility is a growing issue among older couples wishing to conceive.

📌 Significance of Jiyo Parsi for UPSC

• Social Justice: It reflects how state policy can be designed not only for economic backwardness but also for demographic vulnerability.
• Demography + Culture: The scheme protects a culturally rich and historically significant community.
• Science + Policy: It shows how scientific techniques can be integrated into population policy