To empower the minority communities Ministry of Minority Affairs has initiated the schemes for those who are relatively disadvantaged section of society, by assisting them towards enhancing their skills and capabilities to make them employable in industries, services and business sectors in addition to the government sector. It has the built-in resilience to adapt itself to the market dynamics on a continuous basis so that the target groups are not deprived of the professional acumen demanded by the changing/emerging market needs and opportunities for employment at domestic as well as international levels.
Separate schemes for providing coaching to students belonging to scheduled caste, minority communities and backward classes were being implemented from 6th Five Year Plan. These separate schemes were amalgamated with effect from September 2001 into a combined Scheme of Coaching and Allied Assistance for Weaker Sections including Scheduled Castes, Other Backward Classes and Minorities. However, after the creation of Ministry of Minority Affairs, a new scheme called “Free Coaching and Allied Assistance for candidates belonging to the minority communities is being implemented by this Ministry. The scheme has to be made more comprehensive keeping in view the emerging trends of employment in the era of economic reforms, liberalization and globalization.
The objectives of the scheme are to assist students belonging to the minority communities by way of special coaching for Coaching/training for jobs in the private sector such as in airlines, shipping, fisheries, information technology (IT), business process outsourcing (BPO) and other IT enabled services job oriented courses as per the emerging trend of employment in the private sector.
The identification of minority candidates is based on the religion of the candidate.The five major religions come under the Minority Category are as follows: