30 pc of minority seats earmarked for girls, Smriti Irani tells Rajya Sabha

New Delhi [India], March 16 : Responding to a question from Rajya Sabha MP KR Suresh Reddy on what the government plans to do to reduce the dropout rates amongst minority children, especially girls, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, Smriti Ir, said 30 per cent seats for minority students have been earmarked for girls.

"Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme was approved in January 2008 for class I-X and was applicable upto 2021-22. Post Matric Scholarship was launched in November 2007 for level XI, XII and higher classes. Merit-cum-Means Scholarship was launched in the year 2007 for Technical and Professional Courses. A very large number of students from minority communities have benefited from these programmes. 30 per cent seats in all these schemes have been earmarked for girl students," said Ir, in a written reply.

Further, the Minority Affairs Minister informed Parliament that the government has undertaken several steps to encourage education among the children from minority communities to empower them both educationally as well as for their socio-economic welfare.

"This would help in reducing the dropout," Ir said in reply to the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MP.

"(The) Government has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every stratum, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Rural Development," the Minority Affairs minister said.