The Centre on Friday sought to take credit for the success of minority students in the civil services examination with Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday saying that the Modi Government has created a conducive atmosphere for promoting the talent of the youth from minority communities .
The Government's policy of "development with dignity and without any discrimination" ensured that "for the first time after Independence", a record 131 candidates from minority communities, including 51 Muslims, have been selected in the civil services, said the Minister while felicitating nine successful candidates from minority community.
These candidates have made it to the list of successful candidates with the help of free-coaching programmes facilitated by the Minority Affairs Ministry. This year, free-coaching will be provided to more than 15,000 youths from across the country.
Naqvi said the Ministry has been putting in effective efforts to "promote and ensure progress" of meritorious youth from the minority communities.
There are six minority communities — Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Sikh, Jain and Parsi.
"Earlier, efforts were not made to create such an environment which would give minority community youth confidence," Naqvi was quoted as saying by a statement.
"Prime Minister Modi's Government has given an atmosphere to protect and promote talent of the youth from the communities which has resulted in such a large number of them being selected in the top administrative services," he said.
In the 2016 examination, 126 youths from minority communities, including 52 Muslims, had been selected for the prestigious civil services.
Naqvi said that in the 2016 exam, 1,099 people were selected in the civil services. These included 52 Muslim youths, which was 4.5 per cent of the total selected.
In the 2017 exam, 5.15 per cent of the total 990 successful candidates are Muslims. Also, six Muslims, including three women, have found a place in the top 100.
Naqvi said that through various institutions and organisations, the Ministry has been implementing coaching programmes such as 'Nai Udaan', 'Naya Savera' for the minority youth preparing for the civil services, other UPSC examinations, medical, engineering and administrative examinations.
He said the 'Nai Udaan' and 'Naya Savera' schemes were revised last year and rate of financial assistance on qualifying UPSC prelims was increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh.