Clearing Prelims Conducted by UPSC,SSC,SPSC

National Commission on Religious and Linguistic Minorities in its report has highlighted that all communities and groups should have equal share in economic opportunities and employment. It envisages proactive measures for those communities that lag behind and become increasingly marginalized. Hence interventions in the form of Government programs need to help these communities, with earmarking of targets on (1) Self- employment and Wage employment and (2) Recruitment to State and Central Services.

An exclusive scheme was launched during the 11th Five Year Plan Period to provide pre-examination coaching for competitive examinations in government and private institutions for candidates from minority communities.

The representation of the Minority Communities in the Civil Services continue to be lower compared to the ratio of their population. Recruitment of minority candidates as reported by Ministry of Personnel , Public Grievance and Pensions, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) was, 8.23% ; 9.90%; 7.28% and 11.9 % in 2007-08;2008-09; 2009-10; and 2010-11 respectively . This calls for policy intervention in the form of special support for minorities to clear the competitive Civil Services Examinations.

The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial support to the minority candidates clearing prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and State Public Service Commissions to adequately equip them to compete for appointment to Civil Services in the Union and the State Governments and to increase the representation of the minority in the Civil Services by giving direct financial support to candidates clearing Preliminary Examination of Group A and B (Gazetted and non-Gazetted posts of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC); State Public Service Commissions (SPSCs) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.

Ministry of Minority Affairs will be the implementing agency and only candidates belonging to notified Minority Communities who clear the Prelim examinations conducted by UPSC; SPSC or SSC etc. and fulfill all other eligibility criteria and conditions will be considered for financial support under the scheme. Eligibility criteria and conditions of the Scheme will be as follows:

Note*: Income from all sources which has been projected as Rs. 4.5 lakh in para 3 (ii) above is subject to change with change in creamy layer exemption/ceiling over the 12th plan period and beyond.

Every year Ministry of Minority Affairs will advertise for inviting applications from eligible candidates through News Papers and on its website. Eligible candidates will apply to this Ministry on the pro forma developed for this purpose under the Scheme.

Every year up to a maximum of 800 candidates will be given financial support under the scheme throughout the country on fulfilling the eligibility criteria till the budgetary allocation is exhausted. Selection of the candidates will be based on merit in case of limited number of slots available for any particular community. Till the Census of 2011 is available the Ministry will use the figures of 2001 Census. The physical distribution of benefits to different notified minority communities wiil be as follows:

Muslims: 584; Christians: 96 ; Sikhs:80; Buddhists:32 ; and Parsis: 8.

The rate of financial assistance will be maximum Rs. Fifty thousand(Rs. 50,000/- for Gazetted Post; and Rs 25,000/- for Non- Gazetted Post) only as support to the minority candidates who have cleared the Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commissions; Staff Selection Commissions or State Public Service Commissions etc for Group ‘A’ and ‘B’ Civil Services.

100% financial support will be provided to the selected candidates through a Nationalized Bank as this is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS). Payment will be through ECS/RTGS/Cheque/e-payment Aadhar number will be mandatory for candidates coming from 121 DBT Districts presently. In consequent years Aadhar number will be mandatory for all candidates seeking support under this Scheme.

A monitoring mechanism would be put in place to see that there is timely disbursal of amount through the concerned banks so that the selected students do not suffer due to delay. Evaluation of the scheme will be taken up after 3 years of its implementation through an independent and specialized agency. Impact assessment will be conducted towards the end of the 12th Plan Period.