Digital delivery of scholarships removed middlemen: Naqvi

New Delhi  :  Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Saturday said digitisation of various scholarship deliveries to students has eliminated middlemen from the system.

Stating that the Ministry of Minority Affairs had gone completely digital/online, Naqvi said: "The digital system has not left any space for middlemen. It has ensured that fruits of development reach directly to every needy of the society. 

"Various scholarships are being given directly in banks accounts of students. Be it welfare and developmental schemes or Haj affairs, our ministry has ensured complete transparency," said Naqvi addressing a workshop of Inspecting Authorities here.

The minister said more than 280 inspecting authorities of the ministry were working as a watchdog for various development and welfare schemes and they had ensured 100 per cent honest and transparent implementation of these schemes at ground level.

"Proper implementation of various schemes of the ministry from skill development to educational empowerment, to scholarships like 'Gharib Nawaz Skill Development Scheme', 'Seekho aur Kamao' and 'Nai Manzil', among others, have been ensured with the cooperation of these inspecting authorities," said Naqvi.

Pointing out that his ministry was spending about 65 per cent of its budget on educational empowerment and skill development of the minorities, Naqvi emphasised that his ministry was working with a commitment to welfare of minorities through "3E - Education, Employment, Empowerment". 

"In the last about six months, thousands of educational institutions of all minority communities including madarsas have been included in the mainstream education system by connecting them with '3T - Teacher, Tiffin, Toilet'," Naqvi aded.

During his address, the minister also said that for the first time, a record number of over 1.5 crore students had applied for various scholarships given by the Ministry of Minority Affairs. 

"More than three lakh applications have been received for 'Begum Hazrat Mahal Girls Scholarship'. In order to encourage the girls of minority community for higher education, the Central Government will give Rs 51,000 as 'Shadi Shagun' to those girls who complete graduation level studies," he said.