Educational Empowerment of Minorities: Schemes and Achievements

Abstract

India is the birthplace of several religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, and home for thousands of years to Jewish, Zoroastrian, Muslim, and Christian communities (Gandhi, 2018). The vast majority of citizens of all religious groups live in peaceful coexistence and are conscious of religious freedom and minority rights (US Department of State, 2009). The Ministry of Welfare of the Government of India issued a gazette notification on 23 October 1993 under the National Minorities Commission Act-1986 to the five religious communities Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and Parsi (Parsi) to be a minority, the Central Government also recognized the Jain community as a minority in 2014 (Ministry of Minority Affairs, 2014). Education is the foundation for the national development and basic human right that create nation’s human resource more powerful which in turn contribute towards the development of the countries and it is believed that countries become successful when they empower their human resources. National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was set up by the Union Government of India in 1992 to protect the existence of minorities all over India and look after the minority communities of India to get benefits in education and employment opportunities. Minorities belonging to the region have established many educational centers and institutions to uplift their culture and language. Besides, they are entitled to reserve a specific quota of seats for students and teachers to their own communities. Various Government schemes provide direct aid to students and educational institutions for promoting minority communities in India.