Ministry of Minority Affairs

Ministry of Minority Affairs

Agency overview
Formed 29 January, 2006
Jurisdiction IndiaRepublic of India
Headquarters New Delhi
Agency executive
Website www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

The Ministry of Minority Affairs, a ministry of the Government of India established in 2006. It is the apex body for the central government's regulatory and developmental programmes for the minority communities in India, which include Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.[1] As of 13 October 2015, head of the ministry, Minister of Minority Affairs is the cabinet minister Dr. Najma A. Heptulla.[2]

Overview

The ministry is also involved with the linguistic minorities and of the office of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities, representation of the Anglo-Indian community, protection and preservation of non-Muslim shrines in Pakistan and Muslim shrines in India in terms of the Pant-Mirza Agreement of 1955, in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs.[3] The Minister in charge is also Chairperson of the Central Wakf Council, India, which manages the running of the State Wakf Boards.[4] Ministry of Minority Affairs provides Moma scholarship to minority community students of India every year. Moma Scholarship is a scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs initiated with the aim of supporting minority communities student who are not financially strong and want to pursue higher studies in India.[5] Minority communities in India includes Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains. The scholarship is awarded to the students by India Government through State Government/UTs. The scholarship is awarded for the undergraduate and post graduate courses.

Linguistic Minorities, according Indian Constitution should have a Special Officer appointed.

Constitutional Article: 350B.

  1. There shall be a Special Officer for linguistic minorities to be appointed by the President.
  2. It shall be the duty of the Special Officer to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided for linguistic minorities under this Constitution and report to the President upon those matters at such intervals as the President may direct, and the President shall cause all such reports to be laid before each House of Parliament, and sent to the Governments of the States concerned.

It is to be decided based on states as the states have been formed on linguistic basis.

Ministers

Name Term of office Party Prime Minister
Najma Heptullah[2] 26 May 2014 Incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party
(National Democratic Alliance)
Narendra Modi
K. Rahman Khan 2012 2014 Indian National Congress
(United Progressive Alliance)
Manmohan Singh
Salman Khurshid[6] 19 January 2009 28 October 2012
A. R. Antulay[7] 29 January 2006 2009

Organisations

Schemes

Scholarships

References

External links


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