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INDIA: Buddhist Development Plan for 5 northern states launched
The Buddhist Channel, 18 March 2024
New Delhi, India - - India's Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women & Child Development, Smriti Iranian has laid the foundation stone for 38 projects with the total estimated cost of Rs. 225 Cr. About USD 27 mil) approved under Buddhist Development Plan for the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
An announcement was also made to provide financial assistance of Rs. 30 Crores (about Usd 3.6 mil) for strengthening the ‘Centre for Advance 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.
The Foundation Stone was laid by the Union Minister via virtual platform from Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi .
In addition, this event has been ceremoniously conducted in the respective states and the UT also in the presence of Shri Prem Sing Tamang, Chief Minister, Government of Sikkim, Shri Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Shri 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 .
These projects demonstrate the commitment taken by the Government of India’s towards development of minority religions through 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.
The prime objective to secularize the traditional theological education with an additional provision of modern education and the professional/Vocational and skill development courses for the young Buddhist population in these areas.
The Buddhist Development Plan program would be implemented by converging various ongoing schemes of the Ministry such as PMJVK, PM-Vikas, Scholarship as well as the programs and the schemes being administered by NMDFC and those relevant in other Ministries.
The program includes provisions for awareness campaigns to ensure that such schemes and programs are within reach of the Buddhist communities in the mentioned five states.
Aligned with the purpose of ‘Viksit Bharat’ (current government's roadmap to making India a developed nation by 2047) the Honorable Minister desires that the Institutes like Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Centre for Advance 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.
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