Shri Salman Khurshid,
Minister of Minority Affairs, here today formally launched two new schemes for
the welfare of minority communities: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National
Fellowship for Students from Minority Communities; and the Scheme for
Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards.
The
objective of the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship for Students from
Minority Communities is to provide integrated
five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified
by the Central Government to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and
Ph.D. The scheme will cover all Universities/Institutions recognized by the
University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) and section 3 of the UGC
Act and will be implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) through UGC for students belonging to
the minority communities. The
fellowship under National Fellowship will be on the pattern of UGC Fellowships
awarded to research students pursuing regular and full time M. Phil and Ph.D
courses. The fellowship holders under this scheme will be known as MoMA
scholars.The total number of fellowships each year will be 756. In case of
non-availability of adequate number of candidates, the number of fellowships
not availed during a year will be carried forward to the next academic session.
30% of the fellowship shall be earmarked for women students; remaining 70% will
be general. In case there are shortage of women candidates, the fellowship can
be passed on to male students of the same minority community. The reservation
for differently-abled students shall be made as per the UGC norms. UGC will
notify the scheme by inserting suitable advertisement in the Press and other
media.
The rate of
fellowship for JRF and SRF will be at par with the UGC Fellowship as amended
from time to time. Presently these rates are as follows:
|
Fellowship
|
@ Rs.12,000/- p.m. for initial two years (JRF)
@ Rs.14,000/- p.m. for remaining tenure (SRF)
|
|
Contingency for Arts
& Commerce
|
@ Rs.10, 000/- p.a. for initial two years
@ Rs.20, 500/- p.a. for remaining three years.
|
|
Contingency for
Sciences & Engineering
|
@ Rs.12, 000/- p.a. for initial two years
@ Rs.25, 000/- p.a. for remaining three years.
|
|
Departmental assistance
|
@ Rs.3,000/- p.a. per student to the host institution for
providing infrastructure
|
|
Escorts/Reader
Assistance
|
@ Rs.2,000/- p.m. in cases of physically and visually
challenged candidates
|
The broad
objectives of the Scheme for Computerization of Records of State Wakf Boards
are:
·
Ensuring proper survey and cross checking of Wakf data from
various computer data bases maintained at the state level, such as by Revenue Departments etc.
·
Improving office efficiency and preparation of timely
reports on various administrative matters.
·
Creation of a centralized and web-enabled data base for use
by various stake holders.
·
Properties Registration Management of Wakf Boards.
·
Muttawalli Returns Management system.
·
Leasing of Properties Management system.
·
Litigations Tracking Management system.
·
Documents Archiving & Retrieval Management system.
The scheme
of computerization is uniformly to be applicable across all the 29 State Waqf
Boards and any other Wakf Board like J&K, making a special request for
funding subject to availability of funds. The Scheme is to be implemented
during the Plan period 2009-10 to 2011-12 at a total cost of Rs. 22.84 crore.
The computerization would introduce implementation of a web based centralized
application module for Wakf Management. The
scheme will be implemented by National Informatics Centre (NIC) on turnkey
basis. Funds will be released to NIC or their nominee and to the State Wakf
Boards directly for effective implementation. Utilisation Certificates will be
routed through State Governments by the Wakf Boards concerned after due
expenditure.
The need for such a scheme has
arisen because although Wakf properties are spread out all over the country but
even the basic survey of waqf properties has not been done in most States. There is hardly any development of waqf
properties and a very substantial income that the waqf properties could have
generated for the welfare schemes of the community are lost because of
non-development and large scale encroachment of waqf properties.Therefore, to
streamline record keeping, introduce transparency, and to computerize the
various functions/processes of the Wakf Boards and to develop a single web
based centralized application, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf, in its
Ninth Report, recommended computerization of the records of the State Waqf
Boards and Central financial assistance to the these Boards.
************
KKP