Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Women & Child Development Smriti Irani on Sunday laid the foundation stone via virtual platform for 38 projects with a total estimated cost of Rs. 225 crore approved under the 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.

She also announced on the occasion a financial assistance of Rs. 30 crore for strengthening the ‘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 the Buddhist population.

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Aligned with the purpose of ‘Viksit Bharat’, Mrs. Irani desired that Institutes like the 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 to conserve the Buddhist cultural heritage and knowledge along with providing them modern education.

Taking another step ahead towards the Government of India’s commitment to the 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 secularise 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 Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has come up with a programme viz. Buddhist Development Plan (BDP).

This programme would be implemented by converging various ongoing schemes of the Ministry such as PMJVK, PM-Vikas, and Scholarship as well as the programs 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 programs are within reach of the Buddhist communities in the mentioned five states.