Under Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), which is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the communities notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act (NCM), 1992 are taken as Minority Communities. The Central Government under the NCM Act, 1992 has notified six religious minority communities namely Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Muslim, Parsi and Jain.

The areas for implementation of PMJVK has been identified on the basis of substantial population of minority communities i.e. 25% of minority population in the area and backwardness parameters in the area concerned which are below the national average. The parameters for identification of Minority Concentration Areas are based on the data of Census, 2011. The details of backwardness parameters applied for identification of such areas are (a) religion-specific socio-economic indicators at the district /block/town viz. literacy rate, female literacy rate, work participation rate and female work participation rate; and (b) basic amenities indicators at the district/block/town level viz. percentage of households with pucca walls, percentage of households with safe drinking water, percentage of households with electricity and percentage of households with latrine facility within the premise. However, the assets created are available to the entire population of the identified area and do not exclude other communities.

Since 2014-15, the Ministry has sanctioned more than 49,000 major projects which includes 35 Degree Colleges, 174 Residential Schools, 1,546 School Buildings, 23,463 Additional Class Rooms/ACR Blocks, 14,312 Teaching Aid & Smart Classrooms, 684 Hostels, 23 Working Women Hostels, 97 ITI Buildings, 13 Polytechnics, 16 Skill Centres, 1,997 Health Projects, 01 Unani Medical College, 408 Sadhbhav Mandaps, 01 Sadbhav Kendra, 168 Common Service Centres, 553 Market Sheds, 09 Hunar Hubs, 5,455 Sanitation/Toilet projects, 76 Sports Facilities, etc.

In respect of 6 States/UT (Punjab, J&K, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and UT of Lakshadweep) where a minority community is in majority, a lower cut-off of 15% of minority population, other than that of the minority community in majority in that State/UT, has been applied for identification of MCD Hqrs, MCBs and MCTs.

Further, the Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing various schemes which aim at educational empowerment, employment-orients skill development, infrastructure support, etc. for the upliftment of living standards of the notified minorities. The benefit of these schemes is available to all the minority communities (Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains) across the country including the above mentioned 6 States.

This information was given by the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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