Recent Initiatives

A new scheme of ‘USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) has been launched to preserve rich heritage of traditional arts/crafts of minorities and build capacity of traditional artisans/craftsmen. The scheme will also establish linkage of traditional arts/crafts with the national and international market and ensure dignity of labour.

  • Hamari Dharohar: Another new scheme “Hamari Dharohar”, to preserve rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture, has also been approved during 2014-15.
  • Cyber Gram for “Digital Literacy”: To impart “digital Literacy”, the ministry took initiative to include “Cyber Gram” programme within the scheme of ‘Jan Vikas Yojna’ (Multi-sectoral Development Programme) from 2014-15.

Maharashtra Accords Minority Status to Jewish Community

Maharashtra became the second state in India to grant minority status to the Jewish community in the country. As per the 2001 census, there are 4,650 Jews in the country of whom 2,466 are in Maharashtra. West Bengal, which has a Jewish population of 43, had a decade back bestowed minority status to the community.

Key Points

  • The community has now become a notified minority along with Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs, Parsis and Jains.
  • The status will now make the community eligible for various development schemes that the state launches for the minority community.
  • It will now get benefits of merit-cum-means scholarship, pre-matric scholarship, post-matric scholarship, coaching and allied schemes and multi-sectoral development programme that the government runs for minorities.
  • Educational institutes run by Jews will now be eligible to attain the benefit of minority status including reserving seats for members of their own community.
  • The granting of this status in Maharashtra lays the ground for bestowing similar status across the country.


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