**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1613 on July 30, 2025, the Ministry of Minority Affairs addressed the educational development of minorities, including initiatives in Tamil Nadu. The Ministry has implemented scholarship schemes for six notified religious minority communities nationwide, including Tamil Nadu. A 2023 third-party physical verification of 1572 institutes/beneficiaries revealed that 830 were fake, partially fake, or non-operational. This matter has been reported to the Central Bureau of Investigation. To prevent future issues, the Ministry has mandated the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System and Aadhaar-based authentication as part of the authentication process for scholarship disbursement.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Minority Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for the welfare of minority communities.
SHRI ESWARASAMY K: Member of Parliament who asked the question about educational development of minorities.
Tamil Nadu: A state in India specifically mentioned in the context of educational development of minorities.
SHRI KIREN RIJIJU: The Minister of Minority Affairs who provided the answer to the parliamentary question.
Scholarship Schemes: Government initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to support the education of students from notified religious minority communities.
Central Bureau of Investigation: The premier investigating police agency in India, to which the matter of fake/non-operational institutes was reported.
Aadhaar Payment Bridge System: A system used for direct benefit transfer, utilizing the Aadhaar identification system, to ensure that scholarships reach the intended beneficiaries.
Aadhaar: A 12-digit unique identity number issued to all Indian residents based on their biometric and demographic data.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1613
ANSWERED ON 30/07/2025
EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF MINORITIES
1613. SHRI ESWARASAMY K:
Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) the details of new initiatives taken for education of minorities, especially in the State of
Tamil Nadu;
(b) the details of hurdles and handicaps encountered in proper educational development of
minorities and in implementation of schemes; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to overcome them?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented Scholarship Schemes for 6 notified
religious minority communities for the entire country including the State of Tamil Nadu. As a
part of monitoring & evaluation, in 2023, the Ministry undertook a third party physical
verification of institutes/beneficiaries of 1572 institutes out of which, 830 institutes were either
found to be fake/ partial fake/ non-operational. The matter has been reported to Central Bureau
of Investigation. As a part of preventive measures, Aadhaar Payment Bridge System and
Aadhaar based authentication are made mandatory parts of the authentication process.
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