Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh has urged the Maharashtra government to establish Minority Entrepreneurship and Business Incubation Centres in all six revenue divisions of the state to support young people from minority communities seeking to start micro and small businesses.
Proposal Sent To Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar
In a letter to Deputy Chief Minister and Minority Development Minister Sunetra Pawar, Shaikh said the proposed centres could provide young men and women with training, mentorship and other resources required to establish businesses.
Shaikh said minorities constitute around 20% of Maharashtra's population, with Muslims accounting for 11.54%. He attributed the high dropout rate among Muslim students to poverty and said greater emphasis was needed on skill development and entrepreneurship for those who leave the formal education system.
Shaikh Cites Dropout Rates And Need For Alternative Opportunities
“Due to poverty, there is a 30% dropout rate among Muslim students at the 10th and 12th standard levels. Barely 10% of Muslim youth reach higher education. There is a need to encourage students who have been pushed out of the education system by providing them with opportunities for skill development and entrepreneurship,” he said.
Shaikh pointed to institutions such as BARTI, MAHAJYOTI and SARTHI, which provide skill development and entrepreneurship-related training and opportunities to youth from various communities. He said the Maharashtra Research and Training Institute (MRTI), intended to serve the minority community, had not yet become operational for providing training due to inadequate funding.
He suggested that the Maulana Azad Minorities Financial Development Corporation could work with the proposed centres to connect beneficiaries with loan schemes, provide financial assistance and assist in preparing and evaluating project reports.
Shaikh said the proposed centres could enable more than 1,000 young men and women in each revenue division to establish micro and small businesses every year.
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