Enhancement of scholarships for Minorities

Enhancement of scholarships for Minorities
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Hyderabad : Following the 100 per cent increase in the annual budget for minority welfare in 2013-14, Standing Committee on Welfare recommended the...

atram sakkuHyderabad : Following the 100 per cent increase in the annual budget for minority welfare in 2013-14, Standing Committee on Welfare recommended the State government to enhance the income ceiling limit of scholarship eligibility for minority students from Rs one lakh to Rs 2 lakh on par with SC and STs to provide the benefit to more number of students. The 33-member Committee Chairman Athram Sakku tabled the report on demands for grants on Minority Welfare in the Assembly on Tuesday.

The Committee noted that there was an increase in the number of minority students availing the scholarships provided by the Union government year after year and in the case of State government scholarship scheme, the number was decreasing. The government earmarked Rs 1,000 crore budget this year as against Rs 480 crore last year. The increased funds should not be allowed to remain idle and the necessary steps shall be taken for the releasation and utilisation of funds eventually.

Expressing displeasure over the delay in completing the digitisation of the Wakf records and the failure in fixing the land boundaries by using latest technology in the time bound programme, the committee recommended the government to take timely action to protect Wakf properties from encroachments by allocating separate budget.

The other recommendations include allocation of sufficient funds for providing infrastructure to Urdu medium schools under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Creating a separate board for education of Christian minorities and bringing awareness among Christian minorities on mass marriage programme by enhancing incentives from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000 given to each couple under the scheme.

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