Padho Pardesh

It is a part of PM Fifteen Point Program for the welfare of minority communities. Launched in 2006, it provides interest subsidy to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of notified minorities so as to provide them better opportunities for higher education abroad and enhance their employability.

• Issues highlighted by impact evaluation study of the scheme include – low awareness amongst targeted beneficiaries, poor monitoring of the scheme, high dropouts, etc.
• Recommendations like proper information dissemination, launching of performance monitoring dashboard to monitor scheme, introducing back ended subsidy to ensure completion of course, etc. could be adopted to make scheme more effective.