The Government has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, specially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through various schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Textiles and Ministry of Culture.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements USTTAD Scheme pan India including the State of Rajasthan and Karnataka to promote and provide employment opportunities to minority communities associated with traditional art forms. USTTAD scheme with 33% target allocation for women beneficiaries seeks to preserve heritage of traditional arts and crafts of minority communities and build capacity of traditional crafts persons and artisans and establish linkages of traditional skills with the global market. Hunar Haat, provides a platform to minority artisans/craftsmen and culinary experts across the country to showcase and market their finest handicraft and indigenous products.

The USTTAD scheme has now been merged as a component of a new scheme known as Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) w.e.f. FY 2022-23, aiming to improve livelihoods of minorities, particularly artisan communities, through skill development, education, leadership, training support and entrepreneurship interventions.

This Information was given by the Minister of Minority Affairs, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

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