Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

To reach out to as many students from the Scheduled Caste (SC) and make quality education available for them, the Centre has now proposed to raise the income eligibility criteria for schemes relevant to the issue. It is adhering to the ‘Top Class Education Scheme’ that scholarships have been granted to SC students who are pursuing higher education at IITs, IIMs, NITs, commercial pilot training institutes, medical/ law/ media and other reputed institutes. Initially set at Rs 4.5 lakh, the Centre proposes the income eligibility criteria to Rs 6 Lakh per annum.

These scholarships are provided in 175 notified top institutes and much expenses like fees, living expenses, books and computer get covered under them. The annual income proposed for pre-matric scholarships for SC students, formerly being Rs 2 lakh, has now been revised to Rs 2.5 lakh, on par with the eligibility criteria for post-matric scholarships.

“The basic eligibility criterion for our National Overseas Scholarship for SC students is that their parents’ annual salary should not exceed Rs 6 lakh. We wanted to ensure that students who pursue their higher studies in reputed institutions within India should also get similar benefits,” said an official from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE).

The officials confirmed that the step was to correct the wide variation in income criteria, and that a part of the plans for ‘rationalisation of all scholarship schemes’. Revision of varying income criteria, scholarship amount and other schemes for students from SC, OBC, and economically backward communities has also been on the ministry’s mind.

“The schemes were started at different times, and various income limits were specified each time. In trying to revise the income ceiling, and in some cases increase the scholarship amount, an enhanced budget would be required as the number of students who will become eligible would be very large. Hence, we are examining the financial implication of this proposal,” said the official. Despite the fact that SC and OBC, both, there is a gap between the eligibility criteria on the basis of income. For instance, post-matric scholarship for SC students, last revised in 2010, specifies that the parents’ annual income should not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh. For the same, limit for OBC kids is Rs 45,000.

Data from the ministry shows arrears of over Rs 5,500 crore in the popular post-matric SC scholarship scheme, with many students not receiving any of the promised money for two years now, despite the move widening the net of eligible students. In the year 2016-17, the scheme catered to 46 lakh students observing a slight increase in allocation from Rs 2,791 crore last year to Rs 3,347 crore, not enough to even cover dues.

This year, in regard of the pre-matric scheme, budgetary allocation has fallen short to Rs 50 crore, tenth part of the Rs 500 crore that was being allotted over the last few years. Ever since the early inception of the pre-metric scheme in 2012-13, when the centre had released Rs 931 crore fir the aid, the number of beneficiary students has steadily reduced. Where there were 40 lakh students taking aid of the scheme in the academic year 2012-13, in 2016-17, only about 13 lakh students are upto the advantage.

For the ,  this year has been slashed to , a tenth of   According to data studied by The Indian Express, since the inception of the pre-matric scheme in 2012-13, when  was released as central assistance,  The numbers are down to a third now, from 40 lakh students in 2012-13 to  in 2016-17 when only Rs 344 crore was released. This year, with the funds being reduced to Rs 50 crore, the number is expected to show a sharp fall. Officials advocated that the fall in allocation is because as per scheme guidelines, the states are expected to pool in funds. “However, many states have complained that they do not have the resources, and the Centre should continue with the same allocation as before,” said the official. And in regard of delay in providing the money to eligible students, officials blamed it on the steep fees charged by many private institutions.

Both of these schemes provide 100 per cent centrally-sponsored financial assistance for Dalit students, as demanded by the government under Article 46 of the Constitution for promoting educational and economic interests of SCs and STs. The primary goal of pre-matric scholarship is to minimise the drop-out rate in Class IX and X, whereas, post-matric has its eye on providing aid and assistance to encourage students to go for higher education.

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By Rupal