Lok Sabha Question No. 3505 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-24
Subject: Schemes to Empower Minorities
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Gaddam Ranjith Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3505

ANSWERED ON 24.03.2022

## SCHEMES TO EMPOWER MINORITIES

3505. DR. G. RANJITH REDDY:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  true  that  there  are  eight  schemes  being  implemented  by  the Government to educationally  empower minorities  and  Rs.  2471  crores  have  been allocated for this purpose in 2021-22 Budget;

(b)  if  so,  whether  it  is  true  that  only  eleven  per  cent  of  allocation  has  so  far  been spent as of December, 2021;

(c)  if  so,  the  reasons  for  such  low  expenditure  in  the  first  nine  months  of  the  said financial year;

(d)  the  details  of  the  number  of  students  benefited  from  the  above  schemes  in Telangana; and

(e)  the  status  of  utilization,  physical  targets  set  and  achieved,  as  on  date  and  the details of allocation in 2022-23?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a): The combined Budget Estimates (BE)of 2021-22 for eight educational empowerment  schemes  for  minorities  being  implemented  by  the  Government namely,  Pre-Matric  Scholarship  Scheme,  Post  Matric  Scholarship  Scheme,  Meritcum-Means based Scholarship Scheme, Maulana Azad Education Foundation (to implement Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship and other schemes), Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme, Padho Pardesh - Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies, Naya Savera- Free Coaching and Allied Schemeand Nai Udaan Scheme is Rs. 2,471 Crore.

(b) & (c): The Budget Estimates (BE) for 3 Scholarship Schemes namely, Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post Matric Scholarship Scheme and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme  is Rs. 2,171 crore. The 3 Scholarship Schemes  are implemented  through  the  National  Scholarship  Portal  (NSP)  which  is  a  common Portal for implementing various Scholarship Schemes of the Central Government as well  as  the  State  Governments.  The  Portal  maintains  uniform  dates  for  student registration,  verification  and  payment.  In  the  current  financial  year  due  to  the Pandemic the dates for registration  of  applications  had  to  be extended  up to  15 th January  2022  to  enable  maximum  number  of  students  to  apply.  Similarly  the verification dates for the applications also had to be extended up to 15 th February 2022. Hence, disbursement against Fresh Scholarships started only in the last week of February 2022. The expenditure under these 8 schemes as on 23.03.2022 is Rs. 1,484.17crore which is 61.45% against the Revised Estimates of Rs. 2,415.35 crore. Disbursement of remaining Scholarship is ongoing.

(d):  The  number  of  students  benefitted  under  the  8  educational  empowerment schemes in Telangana between 2014-15 and 2021-22 is 16,57,973.

(e): The utilization of funds as on 23.03.2022 is 61.45%. The physical target for the 8 schemes for 2021-22 is 35,66,140 and so far the achievement is60,12,268, which includes renewal scholarships. The total allocation of funds for 2022-23 in respect to the 8 educational empowerment schemes is Rs. 2,515.01 Crore.

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