Lok Sabha Question No. 1144 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-02
Subject: Special Educational  Opportunities to Children of Denotified Tribes
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Ramashankar  Vidharthi Rajbhar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1144

ANSWERED ON 02/12/2024

## SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO CHILDREN OF DENOTIFIED TRIBES

## †1144  SHRI RAMASHANKAR RAJBHAR:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- a) whether the children of Denotified Tribes have been provided special opportunities for education;
2. (b) if so, the number of students provided such opportunities so far;
3. (c) whether students are provided education loan in the country and if so, the details thereof;
4. (d) the number of students benefitted with the scheme so far; and
5. (e) whether the Government proposes to reduce the interest rate under the scheme?

## A N S W E R

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY )

( a) to (b): Education is a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and majority of schools come under the jurisdiction of the State Governments/UT Governments. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 provides every child of the age of 6-14 years, the right to free and compulsory education in a neighborhood school till the completion of his or her elementary education.

NEP, 2020 focuses on 'Equitable and Inclusive Education'which reverberates the idea that no child should be left behind in terms of educational opportunity because of their background and socio-cultural identities.

Department  of  School  Education  and  Literacy  (DoSEL),  Ministry  of  Education  is implementing the scheme of Samagra Shiksha, effective from 2018-19, for universalization of quality  education  throughout  the  country  in  coordination  with  the  States  and  UTs.  It  is  an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class XII and aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education at all levels of school education.

Department of Social Justice and Empowerment support the education and welfare for Other  Backward  Class  (OBC),  Economically  Backward  Class  (EBC)  and  De-Notified  Tribes (DNT) students under umbrella PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India  (PM-YASASVI).  The  details  of  these  Sub-schemes  and  number  of  beneficiaries  are  as under:-

| Sl. No.                                                                                                                               | Name of Scheme/Project/Programme                                                                                                      | Number of beneficiary of OBC, EBC and DNT students during 2023-24                                                                     |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1                                                                                                                                     | Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students                                                                                  | 19.87 Lakh                                                                                                                            |
| 2                                                                                                                                     | Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC. EBC and DNT students studying in India                                                               | 32.73 lakh                                                                                                                            |
| 3                                                                                                                                     | Top Class Education in Schools for OBC, EBC and DNT Students                                                                          | 3344 (Actual)                                                                                                                         |
| 4                                                                                                                                     | Top Class Education in Colleges for OBC, EBC and DNT Students                                                                         | 5099 (Actual)                                                                                                                         |
| No separate data of DNT students under the above mentioned schemes is maintained by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. | No separate data of DNT students under the above mentioned schemes is maintained by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. | No separate data of DNT students under the above mentioned schemes is maintained by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. |
| 5                                                                                                                                     | National Overseas Scheme                                                                                                              | 3 (DNT students)                                                                                                                      |

(c) to (e):The Ministry of Education is implementing three Central Sector Schemes under the umbrella scheme "Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP), Yojana", namely (i) PM-USP Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students (CSSS); (ii) PM-USP Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (SSS for J&K and Ladakh)  (iii)  PM-USP  Central  Sector  Interest  Subsidy  Scheme  (CSIS)  for  all  categories  of students in the country to get financial assistance for pursuing higher education in India as per the schematic norms of these schemes.

Additionally,  PM  Vidyalaxmi  scheme  was  approved  by  Cabinet  and  launched  on 06.11.2024  that  seeks  to  provide  financial  support  to  meritorious  students  of  quality  Higher Educational Institutions in the form of collateral free and guarantor free education loans to cover full amount of tuition fees and other expenses related to the course and additionally, for students with annual family income upto Rs 8 lakhs and who are not eligible for benefits under any other government scholarship or interest subvention schemes, a 3 percent interest subvention for loan up to ₹ 10 lakhs is to be provided during moratorium period.

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