Lok Sabha Question No. 5264 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-05
Subject: Financial Assistance to Minority Students
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD, KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH, ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN, T. RADHAKRISHNAN, VIJAY KUMAR S.R., SUDHEER GUPTA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5264 TO BE ANSWERED ON 05.04.2017

## FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO MINORITY STUDENTS

5264.:  SHRI  BIDYUT  BARAN  MAHATO:  DR.  SUNIL  BALIRAM  GAIKWAD:  KUNWAR HARIBANSH SINGH: SHRI ASHOK SHANKARRAO CHAVAN: SHRI T.RADHAKRISHNAN: SHRI S.R.VIJAYAKUMAR: SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether the Government is providing financial assistance to minority students to study abroad;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and the assistance given to students during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (c)  the criteria fixed by the Government for this purpose;
- (d)  the  details  of  the  various  schemes  implemented  by  the  Government  for  assistance  of  minority students;
- (e)  the  number  of  students  benefited  from  these  schemes  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the current year; and
- (f) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to properly monitor these schemes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a) to (c): Yes, Madam. This Ministry implements a Scheme namely Padho Pardesh under which Interest subsidy is provided to students who have availed Loan under Loan Scheme of Indian  Bank  Association  (IBA)  for  pursuing  Masters,  M.Phil  &  Ph.D  abroad.  Total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/ her parents/ guardians in case of unemployed candidate shall not exceed Rs. 6.00 lakh per annum, to avail the benefits under this scheme. Detailed Scheme guideline is available on the website of this Ministry i.e. www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

There is no State/UT-wise physical/financial allocation under the Padho Pardesh scheme. However, the achievements made under the scheme during the last three years and the current year is as under:

|                 | Achievements (As on 31.03.2017)   | Achievements (As on 31.03.2017)                    |
|-----------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| Year of release | No. of students benefitted        | Amount of Interest subsidy provided (Rs. in Crore) |
| 2013-14         | Scheme operationalised in 2014-15 | Scheme operationalised in 2014-15                  |
| 2014-15         | 573                               | 3.50                                               |
| 2015-16         | 815 (including Renewals)          | 4.15                                               |
| 2016-17         | 727 (including Renewals)          | 4.00                                               |

(d): Apart from the scheme of Padho Pardesh, this Ministry is also implementing following schemes for the upliftment of notified minority communities across the country:-

1. Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme
2. Post-matric Scholarship Scheme
3. Merit-cum-Mean based Scholarship Scheme
4. Maulana Azad National Fellowship
5. Free Coaching & Allied Scheme
6. Support to minority candidates clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC/SSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC) etc.
7. Nai Manzil
8. Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girl Students.
9. Education Loan Schemes of NMDFC.

Detailed scheme guidelines of the schemes at S.No.1 to 7 are available on the website of this Ministry i.e. www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.  and  in  respect  of  the  scheme  at  S.No.8  are  available  on  the  website  of Maulana Azad Education Foundation i.e.www.maef.nic.in.

(e); The details of number of students benefitted under the above mentioned schemes during each of the last three years and the current year are as under :-

|   S.No. | Scheme                                                                                                         | 2013-14                    | 2014-15                    | 2015-16                    | 2016-17                   |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|---------------------------|
|       1 | Pre-Matric Scholarship                                                                                         | 7794190                    | 7496593                    | 5173434*                   | 1704098#                  |
|       2 | Post-Matric Scholarship                                                                                        | 890467                     | 905620                     | 666195*                    | 277137#                   |
|       3 | Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship                                                                              | 100428                     | 138770                     | 133580*                    | 43450#                    |
|       4 | Maulana Azad National Fellowship                                                                               | 3776 (including Renewals)  | 4532 (including Renewals)  | 5288 (including Renewals)  | 6044 (including Renewals) |
|       5 | Free Coaching& Allied Scheme                                                                                   | 9997                       | 8168                       | 16427                      | 8110                      |
|       6 | Support to minority students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC/SSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC) etc | 483                        | 786                        | 1071                       | 858                       |
|       7 | Nai Manzil                                                                                                     | Operationalized in 2016-17 | Operationalized in 2016-17 | Operationalized in 2016-17 | 69840                     |
|       8 | Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girl Students                                          | 35159                      | 45426                      | 48000                      | 45000                     |
|       9 | Education Loan Schemes (Implemented by NMDFC)                                                                  | 4004                       | 4331                       | 3229                       | 974                       |

(f): The following steps have been taken/being taken by this Ministry for proper monitoring of the above mentioned schemes:-

The scheme of Pre-matric, Post-matric  and Merit-cum-Means based scholarships  are  now on National Scholarship  Portal  2.0  (NSP-2.0),  where  online  applications  are  obtained  from  the  students.  The scholarships are disbursed in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode to the eligible students verified by the institutions  and  respective  State  Government/UT  Administrations.  The  accounts  of  the  students  are authenticated by the banks. Periodic reviews are also undertaken with State Government/UT Administrations and banks.

The scheme  of Maulana  Azad  National Fellowship is  implemented through University Grants Commission (UGC) as per their norms and guidelines. Ministry takes periodic review with UGC.

Padho Pardesh is an interest subsidy scheme for higher studies abroad and implemented through banks. In this case the credentials of the students are verified by the banks. Ministry takes periodic review with the banks.

Scheme of Support for minority students clearing prelims conducted by UPSC/SSC/State Public Service Commissions  etc.  is  directly  implemented  by  the  Ministry  by  calling  online  applications  from  the candidates  selected  in  the  Preliminary  examinations  conducted  by  UPSC/SSC/State  Public  Service Commissions etc. The funds are transferred directly in their bank accounts through DBT mode.

Free Coaching and Allied Scheme is implemented through Government/Private coaching institutions/NGOs  empanelled  by  the  Ministry.  The  coaching  institutions  are inspected by  State Government/UT Administrations and officers of this Ministry wherever required. Ministry has also taken action for concurrent monitoring of the coaching programmes through an independent agency.

For  monitoring  of  Nai  Manzil  scheme,  a  Project  Management  Unit  has  already  been  finalized.  The monitoring will be done through State Government and third party also.

Maulana  Azad  Education  Foundation  has  developed  a  portal  for  registration  of  applications  for scholarship from the current financial year and bank account number of the applicants has been made mandatory in order to release the scholarships through DBT mode. The applications are also verified by the Principal of the school where the candidate is studying.

An independent agency is regularly engaged for inspection of beneficiaries financed  by  the respective SCAs to assess the utilization of loan and impact of NMDFC schemes on beneficiaries. NMDFC also carries out inspection of beneficiaries by sending its officials for field visits and the findings of the field visits are discussed during the Annual conferences and review meetings.

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