Lok Sabha Question No. 343 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-05
Subject: Scholarship and Education Loan Schemes for Higher Education
Ministry: Education
Asked by: Hemant Tukaram Godse, Gajanan Chandrakant Kirtikar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 343

ANSWERED ON 05/02/2024

## SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATION LOAN SCHEMES FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

## †343. SHRI HEMANT TUKARAM GODSE: SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  any  scholarship  scheme  is  in  place  to  promote  Indian  students  to  pursue  higher education in the country as well as in abroad;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the criteria laid down for scholarship, scheme-wise;
- (c) whether the said schemes are functioning properly in rural areas of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has any policy or scheme to provide education loan or subsidy for pursuing higher studies in the country as well as in abroad and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to start more scholarship schemes for Indian students for pursuing higher studies in the country as well as in abroad; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUBHAS SARKAR)

- (a) to  (f):  The  Government  is  implementing  different  financial  assistance  schemes  to promote Indian students to pursue higher education in the country and abroad. Moreover, based  on  requests  received  from  friendly  foreign  countries/institutions,  the  Ministry  of Education disseminates information on scholarships offered by such donor countries for Indian  students  of  all  the  States  and  Union  Territories  to  study  abroad.  The  details  of these schemes including the number of slots, assistance offered and eligibility criteria are available in the following websites:

| Sl.   | Ministry/ Department   | Website links   |
|-------|------------------------|-----------------|

|   No. |                                           |                                                                                       |
|-------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|     1 | Department of Higher Education            | https://www.education.gov.in/pm-usp- scholarships-education-loan                      |
|     2 | University Grants Commission              | https://www.ugc.gov.in/Home/student_Corner                                            |
|     3 | All India Council for Technical Education | https://www.aicte- india.org/bureaus/rifd/Scholarship-Schemes                         |
|     4 | Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment  | https://socialjustice.gov.in/scheme-cat                                               |
|     5 | Ministry of Tribal Affairs                | https://tribal.nic.in/ScholarshiP.aspx                                                |
|     6 | Ministry of Minority Affairs              | https://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/show_content. php?lang=1&level=2&ls_id=661&lid=823 |
|     7 | Department of Science and Technology      | https://dst.gov.in/inspire-scheme-innovation- science-pursuit-inspired-research       |

All  the  above-mentioned  scholarship  schemes  are  merit-based  and  spread  across  the country. All applicants from rural as well as urban areas can apply as per scheme's eligibility conditions and norms.

Education  Loan  is  provided  as  per  Model  Education  Loan  Scheme  of  Indian  Banks' Association (IBA), 2022. The details are available at https://www.iba.org.in/retailbanking/educational-loan-scheme.html .

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