The Ministry of Minority Affairs has said the population of Parsis or Zoroastrians has declined in the country consistently over the years.

In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said in 1941 there were more than 1.14 lakh Parsis in the country which had depleted to 57 thousand in the 2011 Census.

The union minister said in order to arrest the decline of the population of these minority groups notified under the National Commission of Minorities Act 1992,  several initiatives have been undertaken by the Centre. He said the Jiyo Parsi scheme has been started by which the government provides financial assistance under medical and health components.

Under the medical component the government provides help towards infertility treatments which amounts to a maximum six lakh rupees or actual expense.