Mumbai, April, 2 : In the last eight years, more than five crore minority students were given scholarship for educational purposes by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, on Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed on Saturday. Inaugurating the Civil Services Training Programme at Anjuman-I-Islam at New Panvel here, Naqvi said that scholarship to minority students has resulted in significant decline in school drop-out rate, especially among the Muslim girls, adding that the school drop-out rate among the Muslim girls, which was earlier 70 per cent, has now reduced to about 30 per cent. Felicitating the meritorious students, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a ‘Mass Leader’ and not a “Leader of any particular caste, comm ty, region and religion,” that is why his commitment to “Development with Dignity” was succeeding in ensuring “Inclusive Empowerment” of all. He said the Modi government has worked tirelessly with the commitment to “Decision with Delivery,” to ensure socio-economic-educational empowerment of all needy sections. Naqvi said that before 2014, only 20,000 people from Minority comm ties had been given skill development training and employment opport ties, while the Modi government provided skill development training and employment opport ties to around 21.5 lakh people through various skill development and employment- oriented programmes, such as ‘Hunar Haat’, ‘Seekho aur Kamao’, ‘Nai Manzil’, ‘Nai Roshni’, ‘Ustad’ and ‘Garib Nawaz Self-Employment Scheme’ in the last eight years. Today, a large number of youth belonging to Minority comm ties are being selected in Civil Services and other competitive exams. Modi government’s policy of ‘Back up to Brilliance’ has shown results on the ground level. The percentage of Minority comm ties in Central Government jobs, which was below five per cent before 2014, has now been increased to more than 10 per cent, he added. He said the ‘PM VIKAS- Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan’ scheme, which started from April 1, 2022, will prove to be a milestone towards socio-economic-educational empowerment and employment-oriented skill development of the needy. Naqvi further said that before 2014, only 90 minority-concentrated districts of the country had been identified for development activities, while the Modi government has expanded development works across the country under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karykram’. Projects worth more than Rs 18,000 crore have been constructed in backward areas. These include schools, colleges, smart class rooms, ITIs, polytechnics, hostels, common service centres, skill development centres, hospitals, drinking water and sanitation facilities, sports facilities, Sadbhav Mandap and Hunar Hub. Besides the Minorities, these projects have benefitted other needy sections also, he added. Naqvi said that 100 per cent digital/online Haj process; removal of restriction on Muslim women performing Haj with Mehram only; affordable Haj pilgrimage even after removal of Haj subsidy; Digitisation, GIS/GPS Mapping of Waqf properties; development projects on Waqf properties are significant reforms of Modi government. AAA RJ