Syllabus Section: Polity and Governance (GS II)

Importance: UPSC Prelims

Why in News?

• Recently, a written reply was given by the union minister for Minority Affairs in the Rajya Sabha in reference to the above scheme.

About:

• The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram (PMJVK),
• The programme is implemented in the identified Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs) of the country.
• Objective: To develop socio economic assets and basic amenities in the MCAs. 

• The erstwhile Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) has been restructured and renamed as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram for effective implementation since 2018.

Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP)   MsDP is a special area development scheme designed to address the 'development deficits' seen in Minority Concentration Districts. It is one of the Core of the Core Schemes under National Development Agenda in the Report of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes. It was launched in the year 2008-09 in 90 identified Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) having at least 25% minority population and below national average with respect to one or both of the backwardness parameters with the objective of developing assets for socio-economic and basic amenities. The MsDP was restructured in June 2013 for implementation during 12th Five Year Plan and the area of implementation was replaced by Minority Concentration Blocks (MCB), Minority Concentration Towns (MCT) and Clusters of Villages.

 

Beneficiaries:

• It is concerned with the communities notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 would be taken as Minority Communities.

• At present 6 (six) communities namely Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified as Minority Communities

Priority Sectors:

• Priority sectors under the scheme are education, health, skill development and women centric projects.

Source: PIB