In a follow-up to the Sachar Committee recommendations, the Union Cabinet on Thursday took a major policy decision for the uplift of minority in the country, approving a proposal for identification of 90 minority concentration districts (MCD) across all states even while giving its nod to a slew of follow-up affirmative actions for Muslim minorities.
A Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, decided to identify the 90 districts in two categories, evaluating their backwardness against socio-economic and amenities indicators. While 53 of these districts, having values below the national average for both sets of parameters, will be put in the Category A of relatively more backward districts, the remaining 37, having values below the national average for either of the two sets of parameters, would be put in Category B.
“The government will prepare and implement area and problem-specific special development plans for these districts in consultation with the Planning Commission,” Information & Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi said after the meeting.

Guidelines
Guidelines will be issued to all central ministries and departments, particularly to those dealing with programmes of poverty alleviation, education, health and provision of basic amenities, for preparing their plans in a manner that these districts get the required attention and resources, he said.
While the socio-economic indicators comprise literacy rate, female literacy rate, work participation rate and female work participation rate, basic amenities indicators include percentage of households with strong walls, safe drinking water, electricity and W/C latrines.
The Cabinet approved the follow-up actions to be taken on the Sachar Committee recommendations, including the 15-point programme for the welfare of minorities that stipulates equitable flow of benefits of various schemes to minorities.