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New Delhi, March 10, 2024: Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women & Child Development Smriti Irani today laid the foundation stone for 38 projects with the total estimated cost of Rs 225 crore under the Buddhist Development Plan.
The foundation stone laid for all the 38 projects have been approved under Buddhist Development Plan under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Union Territory of Ladakh, official sources said today.
Keeping in view the Modi Government’s concept of “Virasat ke sath vikash” and “virasat ka samvardhan” Irani announced financial assistance of Rs 30 Crore for strengthening ‘Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhist Studies of the University of Delhi for academic collaboration, promoting research, preservation of language, translation of transcripts and skill upgradation of Buddhist population.
Aligned with the purpose of ‘Viksit Bharat’ the Minister desired that the Institutes like Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Centre for Advanced Studies in Buddhist Studies of the University of Delhi and other prominent institutes should collaborate for integrated development in a circuit so as to conserve the Buddhist cultural heritage and knowledge along with providing them modern education.
In addition to the event held in New Delhi today, this event has been ceremoniously conducted in the respective States and the UT also in the presence of Prem Sing Tamang, Chief Minister, Government of Sikkim, Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Earth Sciences, John Barla, Minister of State of Minority Affairs, Government of India, various Ministers in the respective States, Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies and other dignitaries.
Taking another step ahead towards Centre’s commitment for development of minorities with the “Whole of Government” approach with specific focus on the Buddhist Communities primarily in the far flung border areas in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Union Territory of Ladakh and with the prime objective to secularize the traditional theological education with an additional provision of modern education and the professional and Vocational and skill development courses for the young Buddhist population in these areas, the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has come up with a programme on Buddhist Development Plan (BDP), official sources said.
This program would be implemented converging various on going schemes of the Ministry such as PMJVK, PM-Vikas, Scholarship as well as the programmes and the schemes being administered by NMDFC and those relevant in other Ministries. The programme includes provisions for awareness campaigns to ensure that such schemes and programmes are within reach of the Buddhist communities in the mentioned five states.
