Lok Sabha Question No. 449 (STARRED), answered on 2022-04-04
Subject: Scholarships for Students of Reserved Categories
Ministry: Education
Asked by: C.N. Annadurai, Gautham Sigamani Pon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *449 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.04.2022

## Scholarships for Students of Reserved Categories

## *449 .   SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI: SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI PON:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has introduced various scholarships for the meritorious students of Schedule  Castes/Schedule  Tribes  (SCs/STs)  studying  in  schools  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the details thereof during the last three years and the current year, year/scholarship- wise;

- (b)  the  number  of  SC/ST  students  applied  for  scholarships  and  amount  released  by  the Government during the last three years and the current year, State/ UT-wise and year-wise;
- (c)  whether  several  students  from  SCs/STs/OBCs  and  economically  weaker  section  are  not receiving scholarships in time;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure timely action in this regard; and
- (e) whether the Government has started transfer scholarship amount directly into the beneficiary student account and if so, details thereof along with the number of students benefited till date?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF EDUCATION (SHRI DHARMENDRA PRADHAN)

(a)to (e):   A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  PARTS  (a)  to  (e)  OF  THE  REPLY  TO  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *449 ASKED BY SHRI C.N. ANNADURAI AND SHRI GAUTHAM SIGAMANI  PON,  HON'BLE  MPs,  LOK  SABHA  REGARDING  SCHOLARSHIPS  FOR STUDENTS OF RESERVED CATEGORIES FOR ANSWER ON 04.04.2022.

(a)  &  (b): The  Government  has  introduced  various  scholarships  for  the  meritorious  students including Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (SCs/STs) students studying in schools in the country. Pre-Matric  and  Post-Matric  Scholarship  schemes  for  all  eligible  SC/ST  students  are  also  being implemented  by  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  and  Empowerment  (MoSJE)  and  Ministry  of  Tribal Affairs (MoTA).

Under the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) of Ministry of Education, the following scholarship schemes for meritorious students are being implemented, details of which are given below:

## 1. National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS):

The Central Sector Scheme 'National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS)' was  launched  in  2008,    with  the  objective  to  award  scholarships  to  meritorious  students  of economically  weaker  sections  to  arrest  their  drop  out  at  class  VIII  and  encourage  them  to continue their education at secondary stage.   One lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students of class IX every year with continuation / renewal in classes X to XII for study in State Government,  Government-aided  and  Local  body  schools  under  the  scheme.    The  amount  of scholarship  is  Rs.  12000/-  per  annum  from  1 st April  2017  (earlier  it  was  Rs.  6000/-  per annum).The scheme is 100% funded by Central Government.

The NMMSS is open to students of all categories including SC and ST, based on their means  and  merit.  The  parental  income  ceiling  for  the  scheme  is  Rs.  3.5  lakhs  per  annum. Selection  examination  is  conducted  for  students  of  8 th standard  every  year  by  State/UT concerned.  There is reservation as per the State Government norms.   The number of SC/ST beneficiaries and amount sanctioned under NMMSS during the last three years and the current year is as follows:

|       |                          | SC- Category                           | SC- Category                        | ST- Category                           | ST- Category                        |
|-------|--------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| S.No. | Financial Year           | No. of Scholarships (fresh + renewals) | Amount Sanctioned (Rupees in crore) | No. of Scholarships (fresh + renewals) | Amount Sanctioned (Rupees in crore) |
| 1     | 2018-19                  | 59314                                  | 69.01                               | 12186                                  | 13.82                               |
| 2     | 2019-20                  | 60438                                  | 70.38                               | 27495                                  | 31.71                               |
| 3     | 2020-21                  | 58307                                  | 69.13                               | 22562                                  | 26.80                               |
| 4     | 2021-22 as on 31.03.2022 | 48116                                  | 57.74                               | 16460                                  | 19.75                               |

## 2. National Talent Search Scheme (NTSS):

This  scheme  is  implemented  by  the  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  and  Training (NCERT) under this Ministry. The scheme is not specific to meritorious SC/ST students alone but is open  to  all  students  who  qualify  the  selection  exams  at  state  and  national  level.  Under  NTSS scholarships  are  awarded  to  SCs/STs/OBCs/EWS  and  physically  handicapped  students  as  per reservation policy. The selected candidates are awarded the scholarships @ Rs. 15000/- per annum for classes XI and XII. There is provision for continuationof the scholarship at higher education level also.  The scholarship amount is transferred directly to the account of the selected students.

The detail of scholarship disbursed to the SC & ST students under NTSS is as follows:

| Financial Year   | No. of students benefitted   | Amount of scholarship disbursed (in Rs.)   | No. of students benefitted   | Amount of scholarship disbursed (in Rs.)   |
|------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
|                  | SC                           | SC                                         | ST                           | ST                                         |
| 2021-22          | 496                          | 9591000                                    | 163                          | 3135000                                    |
| 2020-21          | 244                          | 4332000                                    | 118                          | 2055000                                    |
| 2019-20          | 619                          | 11985000                                   | 204                          | 3795000                                    |
| Total            | 1359                         | 25908000                                   | 485                          | 8985000                                    |

- (c) & (d): The  National Means - cum - Merit Scholarship Scheme is fully on-boarded on the National Scholarship Portal, which was developed for streamlining and fast-tracking the release of scholarships and  assuring  the  delivery  of  scholarships  with  efficiency,  transparency  and  reliability  .Under  this scheme , t he students from SCs/STs/OBCs and economically weaker section are receiving scholarships in time. Under the National Talent Search Scheme too there is no delay in release of the scholarships.
- (e): Scholarship  amounts  are  transferred  directly  into  the  account  of  the  beneficiaries  through  Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in all the schemes.