Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Minority Affairs addressed Lok Sabha Question No. 4484 on August 20, 2025, detailing initiatives for the economic empowerment and skill development of religious minorities. The response outlines the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme, a consolidated program incorporating previous schemes like Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD, and Hamari Dharohar. Information regarding state-wise fund allocation under the prior schemes is not available, but beneficiary numbers for West Bengal are provided.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **PM VIKAS Scheme:**
* A Central Sector Scheme focused on the socioeconomic empowerment of six notified minority communities.
* It consolidates five former schemes: Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD, and Hamari Dharohar.
* Components include:
* Skilling and Training (Traditional and Non-traditional).
* Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship.
* Education through the National Institute of Open Schooling.
* Infrastructure Development through Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram.
* Facilitates credit linkages with the National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
* **Lok Samvardhan Parv:**
* Organized by the Ministry to provide artisans opportunities to showcase their arts, crafts, and cultural heritage.
* Aims to promote traditions and foster an entrepreneurial environment.
* Workshops are conducted to enhance skills in marketing, export, online business, design, taxation, and sales, with support from the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
* Four Lok Samvardhan Parvs have been organized:
* July 2024, DilliHaat, New Delhi.
* January 2025, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi.
* April 2025, Kashmir University, Srinagar.
* June 2025, Gandhi Darshan, Raj Ghat, New Delhi.
* **West Bengal Beneficiary Data (Under Erstwhile Schemes):**
* Seekho Aur Kamao: 32,477 beneficiaries
* USTTAD: 1,076 beneficiaries
* Nai Manzil: 5,730 beneficiaries
* Nai Roshni: 8,850 beneficiaries
Impact Analysis:
* Minority Communities:
* Impact: Beneficiaries gain access to skill development, education, leadership training, and entrepreneurship opportunities, potentially improving their socioeconomic status. Artisans receive a platform to showcase their work and enhance their business skills.
* Action Required: Engage with the PM VIKAS scheme and participate in available programs and workshops.
* Artisans:
* Impact: Opportunity to display their work at Lok Samvardhan Parv events. Enhanced skills in marketing, export, online business, design, and taxation through workshops.
* Action Required: Participate in Lok Samvardhan Parv events and attend relevant workshops.
* Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs):
* Impact: PIAs that were previously empanelled are now under the consolidated PM VIKAS scheme.
* Action Required: Adapt to the new structure of PM VIKAS, as the project implementation is no longer on a State/UT wise or district-wise fund allocation.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Minority Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for the welfare of religious minorities.
Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS): A Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs focused on socioeconomic empowerment of notified minority communities.
Seekho Aur Kamao: A skill development scheme, now part of PM VIKAS, aimed at religious minorities.
Nai Manzil: A scheme to provide education and skill training to youth from minority communities, now part of PM VIKAS.
Nai Roshni: A scheme for leadership development of minority women, now part of PM VIKAS.
USTTAD (Upgrading Skill and Training in Traditional ArtsCrafts for Development): A scheme for upgrading skills and training in traditional arts and crafts for development, now part of PM VIKAS.
West Bengal: A state in India that received funds for implementation of minority schemes.
National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC): An organization that provides loan programs to facilitate credit linkages for beneficiaries under the PM VIKAS scheme.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4484
ANSWERED ON 20.08.2025
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT OF MINORITIES
4484. SHRI RAJU BISTA:
Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of schemes and programmes implemented by the Government for the economic
empowerment and skill development of religious minorities in the country;
(b) the details of funds sanctioned and released to the State of West Bengal for
implementation of the schemes 'Seekho aur Kamao' (Learn & Earn), Upgrading Skill and
Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD), ‘Nai Manzil’ scheme to
provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities and 'Nai
Roshni'- Scheme for Leadership Development of minority women; and
(c) the details of the number of beneficiaries under the said schemes/programmes in
Darjeeling Lok Sabha Constituency along with the funds spent thereunder?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a): The Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka
Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry which converges five
erstwhile schemes viz. Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, USTTAD and Hamari
Dharohar schemes and focuses on socio-economic empowerment of six notified minority
communities through the following:
i. Skilling and Training (Non-traditional and traditional)
ii. Women Leadership and Entrepreneurship
iii. Education (through National Institute of Open Schooling)
iv. Infrastructure Development (through Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram)
The scheme also has provisions to facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries
with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation
(NMDFC).
Under the PM VIKAS Scheme, the Ministry also organizes ‘LokS amvardhan Parv’
which provides artisans with a unique opportunity to showcase their indigenous arts, crafts,
and rich cultural heritage. The event has been designed not only to promote the traditions of
minority communities but also to foster an innovative and entrepreneurial environment for
artisans. To enhance their skills in areas like marketing, export & online business, design,
taxation and sales etc., workshops are conducted by the Ministry, with support from the
Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH), ensuring a holistic approach to
empowering their talent and increasing their income. So far, the Ministry has organised 04
Lok Samvardhan Parvs, as under:
a. July, 2024 at DilliHaat, INA, New Delhi
b. January, 2025 at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, New Delhi
c. April, 2025 at Convocation Ground, Kashmir University, Srinagar, Jammu &
Kashmir
d. June, 2025 at Gandhi Darshan, Raj Ghat, New Delhi(b) and (c): The erstwhile schemes of Seekho Aur Kamao, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni and
USTTAD, which have now been converged into PM VIKAS, used to be implemented by
Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) empanelled by the Ministry on a project-level basis
and not on State-level basis. Accordingly, State/UT-wise or district-wise fund allocation data
was not made under these schemes.The Ministry, however, maintained the state-wise number
of beneficiaries trained under these schemes. The number of beneficiaries for the state of
West Bengal were as follows:
S No. Scheme No. of beneficiaries (since
inception)
1 Seekho Aur Kamao 32,477
2 USTTAD 1,076
3 Nai Manzil 5,730
4 Nai Roshni 8,850
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