The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) seeks to facilitate opportunities for minority communities in education, skilling, and employment to ensure their inclusive development in the national fabric. A wide variety of policies and initiatives have been launched by the government over the years, to promote economic, social, and educational development of minorities in India.

It has been observed that minority communities have varied aspirations and specific needs based on traditional/ historical challenges faced and the current socio-economic status. Therefore, it is felt that initiatives focussing on overall socio-economic development of each community needs to be aligned to each community’s specific requirement/ needs and aspirations involving the respective State Governments and other stakeholders concerned.

A large cross-section of the minorities in the country are engaged as artisans and craftsperson in various trades in urban and rural areas, often relying on agriculture and allied activities as their secondary source of livelihood. However, as the art and craft sector is dispersed and unorganized in nature, thereby artisans are often exposed to the vulnerabilities of informal employment. Most of them are nano entrepreneurs whose livelihood is dependent on their limited skills, exposure and limited access to market. They face challenges in obtaining capital, accessing marketing support, design, and technology besides suffering due to asymmetric information about the markets and government policies thereby affecting their livelihoods adversely. The Ministry plans to engage with various relevant stakeholders and converge with other schemes of Central & State Government(s), to ensure that these challenges are mitigated.

Many minority artisans are also engaged in practising traditional arts and crafts including Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), which celebrates the essence of their local traditions, values, experiences and practices. In order to preserve their traditional heritage and ensure that it is propagated widely (through various mediums including tourism), the Ministry intends to focus on preservation of this rich cultural fabric and heritage, besides enhancing the cultural visibility through various means such as documentation/ preservation of traditional practices, enabling cross-cultural exchanges, conducting advocacy events, etc. as per the requirements of the local community.

The Ministry proposes to address the specific needs of minority communities, pertaining to both modern and traditional skilling simultaneously, to integrate them with the national mainstream, both in terms of technical skills such as those relating to manufacturing/ services, cultivating entrepreneurial abilities, as well as soft skills such as leadership qualities, self-confidence, awareness of rights, etc. Training in job roles which are NSQF-compliant shall open up new employment opportunities for minorities in sectors beyond their conventional trades, thus, increasing their chances of securing sustainable livelihoods based on their aspirations and providing a safety net for their families.

The women from the minority communities need additional support from the Government for making them aware of the various schemes and their rights. Empowering women from the minority communities is sought to be carried out through targeted programs and entrepreneurship training.  

A minimum level of schooling is a pre-requisite for success in the society thereby leading to improved livelihoods. Individuals from minority communities who have not had the opportunity to complete formal education are proposed to be targeted. In such cases, empowerment through education also becomes important to enhance their self-confidence and make them more competitive in labour market.

After reviewing the existing schemes of MoMA, it is observed that an all-encompassing scheme is required which addresses the fundamental barriers faced by minority communities in accessing opportunities for employment, empowering minority women to pursue entrepreneurship and further education leading to better livelihoods. Considering the challenges faced by the minority communities, recommendations made by various stakeholders including third-party impact evaluation agencies, MoMA has designed an integrated scheme, called the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), combining its five (5) erstwhile livelihood schemes viz. Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil. PM VIKAS is a Central sector (CS) scheme under this Ministry aligned with the 15th Finance Commission cycle period up to 2025-26.

The initiative of the Ministry shall align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) such as SDG 1 (end poverty in all its forms everywhere), SDG 5 (achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), SDG 8 (promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all) and SDG 10 (reduce inequality within and among countries).