Lok Sabha Question No. 2495 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-03
Subject: National Overseas Scholarships
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: D. Ravikumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2495 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2021

## NATIONAL OVERSEAS SCHOLARSHIPS

## 2495. SHRI RAVIKUMAR D :

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the funds that have been allotted to the National Overseas Scholarship during the last ten years, the details thereof; year-wise;
- (b) the information about the National Overseas Scholarship publicized by the Government;
- c) the reasons for 'fixing the total slots only to 100 (SC and other mentioned categories);
- (d) the rationale behind putting an income limit of Rs. & lakhs per annum; and
- (e) the reasons the scholarship not made open to all students of the mentioned categories?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI A. NARAYANSWAMY)

- (a): The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment implements two National Overseas Scholarship Schemes: The   Department of  Social Justice & Empowerment   (DoSJE) is implementing the National Overseas   Scholarship (NOS) for  Scheduled Caste etc. under which financial assistance is provided to selected students from Scheduled Castes; Denotified; Nomadic & Semi Nomadic Tribes; landless   agricultural labourers and traditional artisan categories, for pursuing Masters and Ph D level courses abroad

The   Department of  Empowerment of  Persons with  Disabilities   (DoEPwD) implements National Overseas Scholarship' under which scholarship is provided to the selected students with disabilities for pursuing Masters and Ph D level courses abroad

The allocation of funds under both the schemes during the last ten are aS under: years

| Financial Year   | Budget Allocation (Rs in Crore)   | Budget Allocation (Rs in Crore)   | Budget Allocation (Rs in Crore)   | Budget Allocation (Rs in Crore)   |
|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|                  | NNOS for SC etc. candidate        | NOS for kdisabilities             | students                          | with                              |
| 2011-12          | 6.00                              |                                   |                                   |                                   |
| 2012-13          | 6.00                              |                                   |                                   |                                   |
| 2013-14          | 6.00                              |                                   |                                   |                                   |

| 6o14-15   |   6.00 | 3.00   |
|-----------|--------|--------|
| p2015-16  |   6.12 | 0.50   |
|           |  15    | 1.00   |
|           |  15    | 2.00   |
| 2018-19   |  15    | #      |
| 2019-20   |  20    |        |
| po20-21   |  20    |        |

#NOS for students with Disabilities scheme merged under the umbrella scheme comprising six components since 2018-19; hence there is no separate budget allocation under the scheme.

(b): Advertisement is issued in National newspapers as well as regional newspapers for wide publicity of the schemes Apart from that; the guidelines are circulated to National Importance so that the bright students can benefits of the scheme: The features of the Scheme are also broadcasted through radio channels of All India Radio and Doordarshan get

- (C)= The scheme guidelines, including the eligibility criteria  and are revised from time to time based on the feedback received from various stakeholders, evaluation reports and availability of Budgetary resources   Accordingly, the number of slots under the scheme of NOS for SC etc students has been increased from 60 to 100 in 2014-15.
- (d) & (e): The focus on the scheme is on the poorest households so that will access to the quality education abroad. The family income limit under the scheme has been recently revised in 2020-21 from Rs 6.00 lakh to Rs 8.00 lakh per annum: they get

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