| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Event | Minorities Rights Day |
| Date Observed | 18 December |
| Year of UN Declaration | 1992 (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities) |
| Year India Started Observing | 2013 |
| Significance | Commemorates adoption of UN Declaration, promotes awareness of minority rights, aims to address discrimination, and recognizes contributions of minorities to nation-building. |
| Minority Definition in India | Not explicitly defined in Constitution; determined state-wise (per TMA Pai Foundation case, 2002). |
| Recognized Religious Minorities | Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians (Parsis) (as per Government of India) |
| Largest Minority Group | Muslims (14.2% of population as per 2011 Census) |
| Constitutional Safeguards | Article 29: Right to conserve language, script, and culture. Article 30: Right to establish and administer educational institutions. Articles 350A and 350B: Protection for linguistic minorities. |
| Statutory Body | National Commission for Minorities (NCM) (established in 1992) |
| Key Government Initiatives | Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships, Seekho Aur Kamao, USTTAD, Nai Manzil, Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP), Nai Roshni, Jiyo Parsi, Hamari Dharohar. |
| Key Figures | Six recognized minority communities: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians. |
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