New Delhi, Oct 14: India is a "heaven" for minorities while Pakistan has proved to be a "hell" for them, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Monday.
He also asserted that the government was working on a war-footing to provide quality education and employment-oriented skills to the needy including minorities.
Speaking at the 25th Silver Jubilee function and annual conference of State Channelising Agencies of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) here, Naqvi credited the PM for making India a "role model" for "inclusive growth and positive progress" globally.
"India is a heaven for minorities while Pakistan has proved to be a hell for minorities. The Modi Government has been working on a war-footing to provide quality and affordable education, employment-oriented skill development and basic infrastructure to every needy in society.
"Priority of the government is to provide affordable and quality education to all the needy sections of society including minorities and their economic empowerment through employment-oriented skill development," he said.
Naqvi said easy loans worth Rs 3000 crore have been provided in the last five years by NMDFC to more than 8.30 lakh beneficiaries for various economic activities.
He also said that from the first day of this government, the ministry of minority affairs has been working effectively for educational and economic empowerment of minorities.
Under the programme to connect madrasas with mainstream education system, about 150 teachers from madrasas from various states have been trained by the ministry, he said.
More than 10 lakh students from six notified minority communities- Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh and Muslims- have been given pre-matric, post-matric, merit-cum-means and other scholarships.
Naqvi said, "We will provide scholarships to five crore students in the next five years. During the last five years, scholarships had been provided to more than 3.18 crore students belonging to minority communities which included about 60 per cent girl students.
He said the ministry will organise "Hunar Haat" in the next five years across the country to provide market and employment and employment opportunities to master artisans and culinary experts.
The minister also said that 100 per cent digitisation of Waqf properties across the country has been completed.
"There are about 6 lakh registered Waqf properties across the country. A programme on war footing is going on for 100 per cent Geo-tagging and digitalisation of Waqf properties across the country to ensure these properties can be utilised for welfare of society. GIS/GPS mapping of waqf properties has been initiated with the help of IIT Roorkee and Aligarh Muslim University," he said.
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