State PCS - Maharashtra (MPSC)

• 27 Jun 2025

Jiyo Parsi Scheme

Why in News? 

The Ministry of Minority Affairs held a one-day biometric authentication drive for Jiyo Parsi scheme beneficiaries in Mumbai, Maharashtra to support the Parsi community and address its declining population. 

• The successful biometric drive reflects the government’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and timely delivery of benefits to the community.

Key Points 

• About Jiyo Parsi Scheme: 
  • It is a Central Sector Scheme, launched in 2013-14. 
  • Offers financial aid for infertility treatments like surrogacy, and post-conception care. 
  • Provides monthly financial support to Parsi couples with children and dependent elderly members. 
  • Promotes early marriage, fertility awareness, and family support within the community. 
• Parsi Community: 
  • Parsis are members of the Zoroastrian faith, which follows the teachings of the ancient Iranian prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). 
  • The Parsis trace their ancestry to Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to India to escape religious persecution following the rise of Islam in Persia. 
  • Most Parsis live in Mumbai and nearby towns and villages in western India, with smaller populations in Pakistan and Karnataka. 
  • While not a Hindu caste, Parsis form a well-defined and close-knit religious community with a strong sense of identity and cultural heritage.

India's Minority Communities 

• Minority Communities:  
  • The Central Government determines minority status under the National Commission for Minorities Act (NCMA), 1992, officially recognizing Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains (added in 2014), and Zoroastrians (Parsis) as minority communities. 
  • Together, they constitute around 19.3% of India’s total population (Census 2011). 
• Constitutional Provisions: 
  • Article 29 protects minorities' rights to preserve their distinct language, script, and culture, and prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, or language. 
  • Article 30 grants minorities the right to establish and manage educational institutions.