More money to address Muslim backwardness: Salman Khurshid

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday said prima facie some evidence indicated that funds had been transferred from Maytas Infra to scam-tainted Satyam Computers, now Mahindra Satyam. "When the accounts are stated, this will become clear as to where the money has gone," said Khurshid while briefing reporters on a new Company Law Board (CLB) order regarding Maytas Infra.

August 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd (IL&FS), a leading infrastructure development and finance company, will be the new promoter of Maytas Infra, union Minister for Corporate Affairs Salman Khurshid announced Monday. "IL&FS will be the new promoter of Maytas Infra following an order of the CLB (Company Law Board)," Khurshid told reporters here.

July 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - If learning Urdu and understanding the rich literary heritage written in the language was on your mind, then here is your chance -- the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) Friday announced a certificate programme to popularise the language. Launched by Minister of State for Corporate and Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid, the course is meant for those who want to know how to read, write and speak correct Urdu.

July 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday told parliament his ministry has a mechanism to regularly monitor the progress in implementation of various development schemes for the minorities undertaken by the government. "Review of progress of implementation of the schemes is done through periodic review meetings and through the memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation," Khurshid said in the Lok Sabha.

July 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government has an elaborate mechanism to trace companies that "vanish" after raising money from the public, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Monday. A central Coordination and Monitoring Committee (CMC) has been set up to look into such cases, he told the Rajya Sabha.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday said the existing Companies Act did not empower the government to ask the private sector for providing minorities with jobs. "Despite this, the government has started the process of developing a common perspective on the issue of voluntary affirmative action by the corporate sector," Khurshid said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday told parliament that the government is committed to establishing an Equal Opportunity Commission and is examining the recommendations of the expert group regarding its structure and functions. "An Equal Opportunity Commission will be set up by the government.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Monday said the home ministry had issued guidelines to address communal issues. "Guidelines on communal harmony have been issued by the ministry of home affairs, Khurshid told the Rajya Sabha while replying to a question related to the steps taken by the government to address the socio-political issues of the minority community.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will provide Rs.185 crore (Rs.1.85 billion) as loans during the current financial year for income generating activities to help individuals from minority communities living in abysmal poverty, the Lok Sabha was told Thursday. Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday said the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) will disburse the amount to 79,860 beneficiaries living below double the poverty line.

July 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Saturday said he was not in favour of mandatory reservation in the private sector, maintaining that the government's thrust on inclusive growth will comprehensively address the larger issue of affirmative action. "Empowering and capacity building is the answer and not reservations," Khurshid told reporters on the margins of a conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Minister of State for Minority Affairs Salman Khurshid Thursday said the government was considering giving constitutional status to the National Minorities Commission and would decide on reservation for Muslims after studying the Andhra Pradesh and Kerala models. We want to give the minorities commission a constitutional status and will try our best for that, Khurshid told reporters after a meeting with the commission members.

May 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Satyam fraud case is top priority of the government, and the investigating agency, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), has been asked to put the prosecution on fast track, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs (independent charge) Salman Khurshid said here Friday. "The case is required to be put on the fast track so that the guilty can be punished quickly," Khurshid said after taking charge.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The representation of Muslims in the new council of ministers has come down from six in the previous government to five - two cabinet ministers and three ministers of state. The two Muslim cabinet ministers are from Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

January 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Sirajuddin Qureshi, a well known businessman and national leader of the Quresh community defeated Congress leader Salman Khurshid to retain the presidency of the city's India Islamic Cultural Centre (IICC) here Monday. Qureshi polled 988 votes while Khurshid received 489 votes in an election that was held amid allegations of communalism.

January 16th, 2009 NEW DELHI - It was 'very obvious' that Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi would be India's prime minister one day, but for now Manmohan Singh remained the prime ministerial candidate, party leader Salman Khurshid has said. In a wide-ranging interview here, Khurshid also said that Muslims were leaning towards the Congress in Uttar Pradesh but would vote for it only if they felt it was in a position to win, and so an electoral tie-up was needed with the Samajwadi Party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.