Jiyo Parsi scheme: Why the community in Mumbai is thankful to the UPA

The Parsi community is suddenly all praises for the UPA government as six Parsi couples in Mumbai have conceived through the Jiyo Parsi scheme through which medical assistance was provided by the Centre for the dwindling community. While data on the Parsi population from the 2011 Census is not available, Times of India says that in a population of 1.2 billion in India, there are only about 69,000 Parsis. [caption id=“attachment_1650651” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Members of the Parsi community greet each other at a Parsi fire temple on the Parsi New Year in Mumbai. Reuters[/caption] Mumbai Mirror quotes gynaecologist Dr Anahita Pandole, who is in-charge of the Central government’s scheme as saying, “For us, every newborn in the community is a step ahead. So far, we have six beneficiary couples who have conceived, and one of them is even expecting twins.” Under the scheme, people from the community can get treatment for infertility and then get the money reimbursed. For this facility provided by the UPA, people from the Parsi community have even said they are thankful to the UPA government. Shernaz Cama, director of the Delhi-based Parzor Foundation, was quoted by The Telegraph as saying, “This is incredible news for all of us. We owe it to the previous government.” The ministry of minority affairs launched the scheme in September 2013. The scheme was implemented by the Parzor Foundation with the help of Bombay Parsi Panchayat and other community organisations. The scheme was introduced to sensitise people in the community about medical processes like IVF. Cama told The Telegraph, “Parsis are very conservative and many of them are reluctant to go for IVF treatment. But we are reaching out to them and counselling them.”