Kiren Rijiju launches portal for Jiyo Parsi Scheme

Sub: Schemes

Sec: Marginalised

Context:

The Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju launched the Jiyo Parsi Scheme portal, a Central Sector Scheme to arrest the population decline of the Parsi community in India.

Jiyo Parsi Scheme

The Jiyo Parsi Scheme was introduced by Ministry of Minority Affairs in 2013.
by aims to contain the population decline of the Parsi community in India.
The scheme has three components, Medical Assistance, Advocacy & Health of Community:
1. Medical Component: financial assistance is provided to Parsi Couples for medical treatment under standard medial protocol
2. Health of Community Component: financial assistance is provided to Parsi Couples for child care and assistance of elderly people
3. Advocacy Component: advocacy/outreach programmes are conducted to generate awareness among the Parsi Population.
The scheme is applicable to all couples, irrespective of their financial status.

About the portal

The portal will enable Parsi couples to apply online under the scheme.
The beneficiaries and applicants will be able to check the status of their application and will be able to receive the financial assistance online through Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
Since inception in 2013-14, the scheme has supported more than 400 Parsi children.

About Parsi community

The Parsis are an ethnoreligious group that follow Zoroastrianism, founded by Zoroaster in 6^th century BC in modern Iran.
In India, they are known as ‘Parsis’ or ‘one from Persia’.
Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic religion that follows one God called Ahura Mazda.
The holy scripture in Zoroastrianism is called Avesta.
Navroz the Iranian New Year is celebrated in India by the Parsi community.
Zoroastrians (Parsis) are among the six religious communities notified as minority communities by the Union Government.

Decline in Population

According to the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, the population of Parsis declined from about 114,000 in 1941 to 57,264 in 2011.