The Ministry of Minority Affairs signed a set of Memoranda of Understanding at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru on 25 September 2026 with partners linked to IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru and IIM Bangalore. The pacts bring independent academic checks into two flagship schemes and add incubation support for minority entrepreneurs. Together, they signal a shift toward evidence based monitoring and employment through entrepreneurship.
What MoUs Were Signed in Bengaluru?
The Ministry of Minority Affairs signed four linked agreements at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru on 25 September 2026. The signings took place in the presence of Ministry Secretary Dr. Srivatsa Krishna, Joint Secretary S. P. Roy and heads of the partner institutions. The event was framed around employment through entrepreneurship, shortened as EEE in the Ministry statement.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs partnered with the Centre for Urbanisation, Buildings and Environment (CUBE) of IIT Madras, the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) promoted by IISc Bengaluru, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM Bangalore) and IIMB Innovations through its incubation centre NSRCEL. Two of the pacts are direct agreements of the Ministry, while two are tripartite pacts that also involve the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
| Partner | Type of Pact | Core Work Assigned |
|---|---|---|
| IIM Bangalore through its Centre for Public Policy | Direct MoU with the Ministry | Independent third party monitoring of PM VIKAS training in the South Zone |
| CUBE, IIT Madras | Direct MoU with the Ministry | Independent technical and social quality assessment of PMJVK infrastructure projects |
| FSID, IISc Bengaluru with NMDFC | Tripartite MoU with the Ministry and NMDFC | Startup ecosystem, technology commercialisation, data governance and digital support |
| IIMB Innovations (NSRCEL) with NMDFC | Tripartite MoU with the Ministry and NMDFC | Skilling, incubation, mentoring, research and enterprise development |
Who Will Monitor PM VIKAS Training in the South Zone?
IIM Bangalore will independently monitor Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) training across the South Zone for the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The Centre for Public Policy (CPP) at IIM Bangalore will carry out field inspections and concurrent checks of training delivery, infrastructure, attendance, certification and placements.
PM VIKAS stands for Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The question of what is PM VIKAS scheme and PM VIKAS scheme under which ministry is therefore answered together. The Ministry is the owner and funder, while Project Implementing Agencies carry out training on the ground.
The scheme combines five earlier livelihood schemes, namely Seekho Aur Kamao, USTTAD, Hamari Dharohar, Nai Roshni and Nai Manzil. Its guidelines were approved in January 2025 and field implementation began in the 2025-26 cycle. The scheme has four parts, which are skilling and training, women leadership and entrepreneurship, education through open schooling, and infrastructure development in convergence with the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK).
Under the new pact, IIM Bangalore will start with 43 training centres across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Teams will visit centres, verify records on the ground, speak to beneficiaries and trainers, and check whether classes, infrastructure and placement support match the approved norms. The findings will help the Ministry spot gaps in delivery, tighten monitoring and improve results such as completion rates and job placements. The Ministry has set a target to train about 1.51 lakh beneficiaries through Project Implementing Agencies across the country under PM VIKAS in the first phase.
How Will PMJVK Infrastructure Quality Be Assessed?
CUBE of IIT Madras will independently assess selected completed and ongoing infrastructure projects built under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK). CUBE expands as the Centre for Urbanisation, Buildings and Environment. Its review will cover both technical quality and social use of the assets.
PMJVK stands for Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs that fills gaps in community infrastructure in Minority Concentration Areas. The question of what is PMJVK scheme is best answered in this way. It builds shared public assets that all residents of the area can use.
The scheme traces back to the Multi-sectoral Development Programme started in 2008-09. It was restructured as PMJVK with effect from May 2018 and revised again for the 15th Finance Commission cycle to cover all districts of the country. Proposals are sent by State Level Committees headed by Chief Secretaries and approved by an Empowered Committee in the Ministry. Funds are shared between the Centre and States in the ratio of 90 to 10 for North Eastern and hilly States, 100 percent central support for Union Territories without legislature, and 60 to 40 for other States.
Under the new MoU, CUBE will study projects in education, health, skill development and women and child development. The team will check six clear factors, which are construction quality, functionality, accessibility, actual utilisation, maintenance and sustainability. This matters because a school building or health centre that looks complete on paper may remain unused if it lacks staff, water, power or transport links. An outside technical and social audit can flag such gaps and suggest fixes for upkeep, better use and future planning.
How Will FSID and NSRCEL Support Minority Startups?
The National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) signed two tripartite MoUs with FSID of IISc Bengaluru and IIMB Innovations (NSRCEL) to build startup and innovation support for minority communities. NMDFC is a non profit government company set up on 30 September 1994 under the Ministry of Minority Affairs to give concessional credit for self employment to backward sections among notified minorities. These pacts link its credit work with incubation, mentoring and technology.
FSID stands for the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development. It is the industry and startup interface of IISc Bengaluru, incorporated as a Section 8 company on 8 August 2020. It traces its roots to the Society for Innovation and Development set up in 1991. The FSID pact will focus on startup ecosystem development, innovation promotion and technology commercialisation. It will also cover data governance, digital transformation and public interest technology, which means using digital tools to improve delivery of public programmes.
NSRCEL is the entrepreneurship and incubation centre of IIM Bangalore. The NSRCEL pact will focus on entrepreneurship skilling and capacity building, incubation and startup support, research studies, policy support and evidence based decisions. Both collaborations will work on awareness, identification of founders, mentoring, investor and industry links, market access and enterprise growth. A key vehicle named in the plan is the Prime Minister Minority Venture Fund (PM-MVF) framework, which is meant to channel support to minority led enterprises.
In simple terms, NMDFC brings finance experience, FSID brings deep science labs and technical validation, and NSRCEL brings business mentoring and market networks. A food processing unit or clean energy startup from a minority concentration area can thus get help at three levels, which are technical testing of the product, business training on accounts and marketing, and links to buyers and investors.
Ministry of Minority Affairs: Institutional Framework and Core Mandate
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is the apex body of the central government for policy, planning and development programmes for notified minorities. The Ministry of Minority Affairs was carved out of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and created on 29 January 2006. It is headquartered in New Delhi and its official portal is minorityaffairs.gov.in. The Minister of Minority Affairs (as of September 2026) is Kiren Rijiju, who has held the charge since June 2024.
The term minority status in India means formal notification by the central government under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. Six religious communities are at present notified as minorities at the national level. State governments may notify additional communities for state level purposes, but the central list has six names.
| Notified Minority Community | Year of Central Notification |
|---|---|
| Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis (Zoroastrians) | 1993 notification under the 1992 Act |
| Jains | 27 January 2014 |
The National Commission for Minorities (NCM) is the statutory body set up under the same 1992 Act, which came into force on 17 May 1993. The Commission has a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and five Members, with five of the seven drawn from minority communities. It reviews safeguards under Articles 29 and 30 of the Constitution, looks into complaints on deprivation of rights, and studies socio economic and educational progress of minorities.
The Ministry runs area development through PMJVK, livelihood support through PM VIKAS, concessional credit through NMDFC, and scholarship and Haj related work through its divisions. Its budget rose from about ₹1,949 crore in 2014 to about ₹4,115 crore at present, as stated during the Ministry review in June 2026. Digital tools such as the UMEED portal for Waqf property details are now central to its reform and transparency drive.
Why Do Academic Partnerships Matter for Minority Development?
The Ministry of Minority Affairs said the tie ups will give it access to specialised technical knowledge, stronger evidence for decisions, better monitoring tools and structured support for innovation and capacity building. This is important because welfare schemes often fail not for lack of funds but for weak last mile checks on quality and use.
Independent review by IIM Bangalore and IIT Madras creates a clear separation between the agency that funds and the agency that checks. Field data on attendance, trainer quality, building upkeep and community use can feed back into approvals, fund release and repair plans. In the same way, incubation support through IISc and IIM Bangalore can turn skilling into incomes. Training alone may lead to a certificate, while mentoring plus credit plus market access can lead to a running enterprise.
The timing also fits the post 2025 rollout of PM VIKAS. With guidelines approved in January 2025 and training of the first large cohort under way, early course correction is cheaper than repair later. If the South Zone pilot of 43 centres works well, the same monitoring template can be extended to other zones without building a new inspection system from scratch.
Key Takeaways
- The Ministry of Minority Affairs signed MoUs at IISc Bengaluru on 25 September 2026 with CUBE of IIT Madras, FSID of IISc, IIM Bangalore and NSRCEL.
- IIM Bangalore will monitor PM VIKAS training in the South Zone, starting with 43 centres across five southern States.
- CUBE, IIT Madras will assess PMJVK infrastructure on quality, functionality, accessibility, utilisation, maintenance and sustainability.
- NMDFC, set up on 30 September 1994, signed two tripartite MoUs with FSID and NSRCEL to support minority startups under the PM Minority Venture Fund framework.
- The Ministry of Minority Affairs was created on 29 January 2006 and serves six notified minorities, with Kiren Rijiju as Minister (as of September 2026).
