Lok Sabha Question No. 4486 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-27
Subject: Reduction in Funding for Tribal Students
Ministry: TRIBAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Sudama Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No 4486

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2025

## REDUCTION IN FUNDING FOR TRIBAL STUDENTS

## 4486  SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD:

Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state: -

- (a)  whether the Government has reduced funding for educational schemes aimed at tribal and minority students in the Union Budget 2025 and if so, the reasons therefor along with the manner in which the Government justifies such reductions;
- (b) the specific measures being taken to ensure that the education needs of tribal and minority students are not compromised despite the budget cuts;
- (c) the manner in which the Government is addressing the potential impact on access to quality education for these communities;
- (d) whether the Government has conducted any assessment on the effect of these budget cuts on the educational attainment of tribal and minority students and if so, the details and findings thereof; and
- (e)  the  alternative  mechanisms  implemented  to  support  the  education  of  tribal  and  minority students during the current financial year?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRIBAL AFFAIRS (SHRI DURGADAS UIKEY)

- (a)  to  (e): Ministry  of  Tribal  Affairs  is  implementing  the  following  Scholarship  Schemes  to promote and encourage basic and higher education amongst ST population.
- i)     Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class IX and X)
- ii)    Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class XI and above)
- iii)  National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education for STs
- (a) National Fellowship for ST students (NFST)
- (b) National Scholarship for Higher Education (Top Class)
- iv)     National Overseas Scholarship for ST students.

For  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Schemes(Sr  no-i  &  ii)  of  Pre-Matric  and  Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students  ₹12516.70 crore was sanctioned for the Finance Commission Cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26. However, total expenditure incurred by Ministry is ₹10577.91 crore till F.Y. 2024-25 (as on 24.03.2025). Thus, only Rs.1938.79 crore is available for FY 2025-26 and the Ministry has already initiated revised EFC proposal of an additional allocation of Rs.1983.67 crore for FY 2025-26 under Post-Matric Scholarship scheme for ST students.

Further, for the Central Sector Schemes (Sr No. iii and iv) of National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education and National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) for ST students ₹755 crore was sanctioned for the Finance Commission Cycle from 2021-22 to 2025-26. However, total expenditure incurred by Ministry is ₹756.95 crore till F.Y. 2024-25 (as on 24.03.2025). Notably, the Ministry has spent five-year budget within four years due to increase in number of scholars under  National  Scholarship  (Top  Class)  being  the  open-ended  scheme  and  enhancement  of fellowship amount by UGC under National Fellowship. This has resulted in budget provision of less amount for FY 2025-26. To address the funding shortfall, the Ministry has already initiated revised EFC proposal for an additional allocation of ₹ 220 crore for FY 2025-26 under National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education for ST students and  ₹9.95 crore under National Overseas Scholarship Scheme.

Further, Ministry of Minority Affairs has intimated that it implements various schemes for socioeconomic empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities including various educational empowerment Schemes such as (i) Pre-Matric, (ii) Post-Matric and (iii) Merit-cumMeans based scholarships which are implemented across the country covering rural as well as urban areas. The reason for reduction in the budget is attributed to the Right to Education (RTE) Act,  2009,  which  makes  it  obligatory  for  the  Government  to  provide  free  and  compulsory elementary  education  (classes  I  to  VIII)  to  each  and  every  child.  Accordingly,  Pre-Matric Scholarship  Scheme  has  been  restricted  to  students  studying  in  classes  IX  and  X.  Similarly, considering the overlap of Maulana Azad National Fellowship and Padho Pardesh interest subsidy scheme for overseas studies, with similar schemes of other Ministries/ Departments, the schemes have been discontinued. Moreover, the schemes have not been approved for implementation for the  year  2024-25.  Therefore,  the budget  allocation  in  the  Union  Budget  for 2025-26  has  been reduced.

Further, the Government has undertaken several steps to encourage education among the children of minority communities across the country for socio-economic and educational empowerment of the notified minority communities and as a result to reduce the dropout rate various scholarship schemes have been implemented, viz. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme was approved in January 2008  for  class  I-X  and  was  applicable  upto  2021-22,  Post-Matric  Scholarship  Scheme  was launched in  November  2007 for class  XIth  to  Ph.D.  and  Merit-cum-Means  based  Scholarship Scheme  was  launched  in  the  year  2007  for  Technical  and  Professional  Courses  at  under graduate/post graduate level. A very large number of students from minority communities have benefited through these programmes. In all these schemes, 30% Scholarships have been earmarked for  girl  students  of  minority  community.  So  far,  a  total  of  8.30  crore  scholarships  have  been awarded to minority students.

In addition, the Govt. has implemented various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, especially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Textiles, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Ministry of Rural Development.

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