Lok Sabha Question No. 243 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Higher/Technical Education to SC/ST Students
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Ashok Mahadeorao Nete

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 243 ANSWERED ON 05.02.2024

## Higher/Technical Education to SC/ST Students

†243. SHRI ASHOK MAHADEORAO NETE:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  12th  pass  out  SC/ST  students  of Navodaya  Vidyalaya  situated  in  SC/ST  dominated  areas  are  deprived  of pursuing higher/technical education due to lack of money;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government in this regard; and
- (c) whether the Government  has  formulated or proposes to formulate any programme to provide higher/technical  education  to  the  said  SC/ST  students and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SMT. ANNPURNA DEVI)

(a) to (c) Education falls under the concurrent list and thus, both Central and State Governments take various initiatives to ensure quality higher education in the country. There are 47 Central Universities, 23 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), 31 National Institutes of Technology (NITs), 25 Indian Institutes  of  Information  Technology  (IIITs),  7  Indian  Institutes  of  Science  Education and Research (IISERs) and other Higher Education Institutions under the purview of Ministry  of  Education  which  cater  to  the  education  aspirations  of  all  sections  of  the country including SC/ST population.

22.5%  of available seats are reserved for  Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students (7.5% for STs, 15% for SCs) in Central-Government funded Higher/Technical Education Institutions.

Central  Sector  umbrella  scheme  namely  'Pradhan  Mantri  Uchchatar  Shiksha Protsahan [PM-USP] Yojana' is being implemented with following three components namely  Central  Sector  Scheme  of  Scholarship  for  College  and  University  Students (CSSS);  Special  Scholarship  Scheme  for  Jammu  &  Kashmir  and  Ladakh  (SSS  for

J&K&L);  and  Central  Sector  Interest  Subsidy  Scheme.  The  main  objective  of  the scheme is that the students from weaker sections of the society are not deprived of higher education because of their poor economic background. Under CSSS and SSS for J&K&L, reservation is in place for beneficiaries belonging to SCs and STs students.

Post matric scholarships to the students belonging to SCs and STs are being implemented  by  the  Ministry  of  Social  Justice  &  Empowerment  and  the  Ministry  of Tribal Affairs respectively by providing financial assistance to such students at postmatriculation stage to enable them to complete their education

At present, Undergraduate (B.Tech./B.Arch./B.Plan.) and Post-Graduate (M.Tech.)  students  of  SC  and  ST  categories  in  31  National  institute  of  Technology (NITs) and an Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur get complete tuition fee waiver for the entire duration of course/ programme. Further, there is a complete  tuition fee waiver  of tuition  fees  for  SC/ST  students  for Undergraduate programmes in IITs.

Equity  is  an  integral  and  important  component  of  the  University  Grants Commission's (UGC) Policy and Planning Framework. In order to ensure the access of  all  sections  of  the  society  and  more  particularly  marginalized  sections,  the Commission has framed exclusive regulations and guidelines and has been implementing special schemes for students belonging to SC and ST categories.

A Central University namely Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) in Lucknow was established on 10 th  Jan 1996. In essence, all the academic, research, and out-reach programmes of BBAU, including the University's Act and Statutes, are inspired by Dr Ambedkar's basic philosophy of making education the tool for a holistic socio-cultural transformation that first addresses the aspirations of the most deprived section  of  our  society.  The  reservation  policy  has  been  followed  for  admission  in Academic Session 2023-24 for the purposes of admission to all courses of study in the university and 50% of the seats shall be reserved for SC/ST students.

There  are  two  Central  Tribal  Universities  namely  the  Indira  Gandhi  National Tribal  University,  Amarkantak  and  Central  Tribal  University  of  Andhra  Pradesh, Vizianagram  which  provide  avenues  of  higher  education  and  research  facilities primarily to the tribal population of the country. The Government also gave its approval for setting up of Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University at Mulugu District in the State of Telangana.

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