K'taka's education programmes worth emulating: Union minister

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Tawar Chand Gehlot has said that some initiatives of the Karnataka government in education for empowerment of the deprived classes could be a model to be replicated in other states.

Addressing a media conference after a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of the Union Social Justice and Empowerment department here, on Monday, Gehlot said that Karnataka was far ahead of other states in providing benefits to the people from Scheduled Castes, socially and educationally backward classes, denotified tribes, economically backward classes, senior citizens and physically challenged persons. 

It was the fourth meeting of the committee on ‘National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation’ (NSFDC). “Karnataka has also adopted technology to ensure that the beneficiaries get the benefits directly, weeding out the interference of both officials and middlemen. The scholarship schemes and residential schools are also worthy to be replicated,” he said. NSFDC, set up on February 8, 1989, was incorporated as a fully-owned government company and has been entrusted with the task of financing, facilitating and mobilising funds for the economic empowerment of persons living below Double of the Poverty Line (DPL). 

It provides financial assistance for income-generating schemes for the target group through state channelising agencies (SCAs), nominated by respective state or Union Territory governments.

NSFDC has 11 loan schemes and one grant scheme. The loans range from Rs 50,000 to Rs 30 lakh for SC entrepreneurs. Under grant scheme, 100% grant is provided for skill development training programme and the beneficiaries get a stipend of Rs 1,500 per month. 

It also implements a green business scheme, where the target groups can take up income generating activities, which would tackle climate change and mitigate the Green House effect. The scheme includes provision of polyhouse, e-rickshaw, solar energy gazettes, and compressed air vehicle.

The corporation has released Rs 33 crore to the state for paying scholarship to SC students out of its total outlay of Rs 2,757.04 crore.  The share of Karnataka in 2015-16 was Rs 38.74 crore and Rs 62 crore in 2014-15.

Karnataka has got Rs 42.30 crore for post-matric hostels for OBC students and Rs 6.07 crore for pre-matric hostels. Out of Rs 3,300 crore disbursed for 22 lakh beneficiaries across the country, 2,14,332 beneficiaries of Karnataka have availed of Rs 344 crore. 

A total of 768 manual scavengers have been identified across the nation in the initial survey and Rs 95.80 crore has been released as one-time cash assistance (OTCA) to 239 beneficiaries under NSKFDC schemes.

Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishna Pal Gurjar, State Minister for Social Welfare H Anjaneya, MPs K H Muniyappa, Dr Mumtaz Sanghamitra, Ahmed Hassan, Ashok Sidharth and Prathap Simha, Social Justice Secretary Anita Agnihotri and Social Welfare Secretary P Manivannan took part in the meeting.