Lok Sabha Question No. 458 (STARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Discontinuation of Scholarship Schemes
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Sudama Prasad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *458

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## DISCONTINUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES

*458.  SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  reasons  for  discontinuing  Maulana  Azad  National  Fellowship  (MANF),  Post  Matric Fellowship and Padho Pardesh Scheme for minority students;

- (b) the budget allocated and utilised for these schemes during the last ten years, year-wise;

- (c) whether any committee has been formed to look into the issue of discontinuation of these fellowships, if so, the details of the recommendations of the committee along with the names and designations of the members of this body; and

- (d) whether any student body, organisation, NGO or community-based organisation working with minorities have been consulted before discontinuing these fellowships, if so, the details thereof along with the nature of consultations and their views on the same?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  THE  LOK SABHA  STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  *458  ANSWERED  ON  02.04.2025  ASKED  BY SHRI SUDAMA PRASAD REGARDING 'DISCONTINUATION OF SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES'

(a) to (d): The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various schemes for socio-economic empowerment of the six (6) centrally notified minority communities viz. Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Parsi and Sikh, including various educational empowerment Schemes such as (i) Pre-Matric, (ii) Post-Matric and (iii) Merit-cum-Means based scholarships, Maulana Azad National Fellowship and Padho Pardesh schemes, across the country.

The Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme was implemented by this Ministry on the lines of the JRF Scheme of UGC and CSIR. The UGC and CSIR Fellowship Schemes are  open  for  candidates  of  all  social  categories  and  communities  including  minorities.  In addition  to  this,  students  from  minority  communities  are  also  covered  under  the  Fellowship Schemes being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Tribal  Affairs  for  SC  and  OBC  students  and  for  ST  students  respectively.  In  view  of  the overlap among the aforesaid Schemes, it has been decided to discontinue the MANF Scheme since 2022-23. No other fellowship scheme of this Ministry has been discontinued.

Similarly,  Padho  Pardesh-  Scheme  of  Interest  Subsidy  on  Educational  Loans  for  Overseas Studies for the students belonging to Minority communities was implemented by this Ministry. In  recent  years  the  Government  has  eased  the  norms  and  made  various  educational  loans available easily to all students through Public Sector Banks. As a result educational loan up to Rs.  7.50  lakh  is  sanctioned  without  any  collateral  security  and  third  party  guarantee  by  a lending  institution  to  the  eligible  borrower  for  higher  education  as  per  Indian  Banks Association  Model  Educational  Loan  Scheme  for  pursuing  Higher  Education  in  India  and Abroad  is  covered  under  the  Credit  Guarantee  Fund  Scheme  for  Educational  Loans  of Department of Higher Education. In addition to this, the National Minorities Development & Finance  Corporation  (NMDFC),  a  PSU  under  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs,  also  provides educational  loan  for  education  abroad,  at  lower  rate  of  interest,  exclusively  to  students belonging to minority communities. It has also been observed that benefits of interest subsidy that get accrued to the beneficiaries under the Padho Pardesh scheme are limited and also that there is an apparent overlap with other similar schemes being implemented by other Ministries which are applicable to eligible minority community students as well. In view of this overlap, limited  benefits  and  ease  of  availing  education  loans  on  lower  rate  of  interest,  it  has  been decided to discontinue Padho Pardesh Scheme since 2022-23.

The details of budget allocation and its utilization during the last ten years under the aforesaid schemes are as under:

( Amount in Rs. Crore)

| Scheme   | MANFScheme        | MANFScheme        | Padho Pardesh Scheme   | Padho Pardesh Scheme   |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| Year     | Budget Allocation | Amount Sanctioned | Budget Allocation      | Amount Sanctioned      |
| 2014-15  | 1.00              | 0.12              | 3.50                   | 3.50                   |
| 2015-16  | 55.58             | 55.52             | 4.19                   | 4.15                   |
| 2016-17  | 120.00            | 119.92            | 5.32                   | 4.00                   |
| 2017-18  | 150.00            | 124.87            | 17.00                  | 17.00                  |
| 2018-19  | 153.00            | 97.85             | 45.00                  | 45.00                  |
| 2019-20  | 130.00            | 100.00            | 25.00                  | 14.43                  |
| 2020-21  | 100.00            | 73.50             | 22.00                  | 20.19                  |
| 2021-22  | 99.00             | 74.00             | 24.00                  | 22.15                  |
| 2022-23  | 99.00             | 98.85             | 24.00                  | 24.00                  |
| 2023-24  | 54.00             | 83.45             | 7.00                   | 0.00                   |
| 2024-25  | 45.08             | 25.00             | 15.30                  | 0.00                   |

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