Minority Affairs Ministry budget allocation slashed by over 38%

The budgetary allocation for the Union Ministry of minority affairs fell from ₹5,020.50 crore in 2022-23 to ₹3,097.60 crore in 2023-24 – a slash of over 38 per cent from last fiscal. The revised estimate for the last fiscal was ₹2,612.66 crore which indicates an underutilisation of over 47.96 per cent.

The major share in the massive decline was of the pre-matric scholarships, which fell from ₹1,425 crore 2022-23 to ₹433 crore in 2023-24. Revised estimates for the scheme was ₹556.82 crore. The allocation for the post-matric scholarships increased from ₹515 crore to ₹1065 crore. Scholarships for merit-cum-means scholarships fell from ₹365 crore last year to ₹44 crore this year, and allocation for free coaching for minorities fell from ₹79 crore to ₹30 crore in a year.

All of these schemes came under the education empowerment component, the allocation for which fell from ₹2,515 crore to ₹1,689 crore – a slashing of 32.8 per cent.

Apart from that, allocation for skill development and livelihoods, which includes schemes like USTAD scheme, Nai Manzil and Scheme for Leadership Development of Minority Women, fell from ₹332.91 crore last fiscal to ₹3.4 crore this fiscal – a slash of 99 per cent.

Allocation for the Umbrella Programme for Development of Minorities, which includes the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram and Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities, fell from ₹1810 crore to ₹610 crore, which is a dip of 66.2 per cent in allocation. The revised estimate for the umbrella programme is ₹530, which points to an underutilisation of over 70.7 per cent.