Lok Sabha Question No. 3061 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: National Fellowship for SCs
Ministry: SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT
Asked by: S. Jothimani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3061 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.08.2023

## NATIONAL FELLOWSHIP FOR SCs

3061. MS. S: JOTHIMANI:

## Will the Minister of SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether there has been a decline in budgetary allocation and the number of fellowships awarded under the National Fellowship for Scheduled Caste (SC) students scheme and if S0, the details thereof;
- (b) the beneficiaries of the scheme since 2014, State-wise including in Tamil Nadu, district-wise;
- (c) whether there has been a decline in the number of beneficiaries of the scheme in the State of Tami] Nadu and if the details thereof; and SO,
- (d) whether the Government is proposing to increase the budgetary allocation for the scheme, if SO, the details thereof and if not, the reasons there for?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EMPOWERMENT (SHRI A. NARAYANASWAMY)

- (a): National   Fellowship scheme for schedule caste   students   being   implemented by the DoSJE is demand-driven scheme and the funds are released as per demands and there has been no shortage of funds, as may be seen from table below

Budget Estimate   and  Expenditure & Beneficiaries under National Fellowship for SC Students of last three years

| Year    |   Budget Allocation (Rs: in crore) |   Fund Released by Ministry Rs: in crore) | Number of Fellowships awarded   |
|---------|------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2020-21 |                                300 |                                     18.99 | 4841(merged cycle)              |
| 2021-22 |                                300 |                                    122.39 | 1932(merged cycle)              |
| 2022-23 |                                173 |                                     14.25 | 1872 (merged cycle)             |

So far as number of beneficiaries is concerned, it is informed that Under NFSC scheme, 2000 new fellowships per year are given to such Scheduled Caste   students  who undertake advanced studies and research leading to MPhilPh D Degrees: Further; if, in an academic year, the allocated slots remain substantially unfilled 25% or more), the slots of the next academic year are reviewed. After; reviewing, the backlog slots are filled if required. During the Financial Year 2020-2 1 4841 seats including backlog slots were filled up.

(b) & (c): This is a Central  Sector scheme directly implemented by the Ministry without involvement of the State Governments. Presently, the selection of students is done on the basis of merit determined by the National Eligibility Test (NET) examination of the University Grant Commission (UGC) and the Council of   Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) held by National Testing Agency (NTA) The details of the number of beneficiaries of the scheme since 2014 state-wise including State of Tamil Nadu is given in Annexure [ (district wise data not maintained). It is informed that data indicator keeps oscillating year by year i.e. may increase or may not in the subsequent years because of the fact that the candidates who have been awarded with National fellowship have validity of this award for 3 years from the date of issue of award of fellowship. In this period of 3 years, the candidates may or may not avail the fellowship due to various reasons e.g: better placement etc. and thereby, leave the course in between:

(d): Provisions of the scheme were  reviewed by the Expenditure Finance Committee and approved by the cabinet in 2021-22 and to be continued for the next 5 years with the total outlay of Rs. 882 Cr under the scheme and there is no shortage of funds under the scheme.

Annexure referred in reply to (b) and (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3061 for answer on students. part

Annexure-[ 08/08/2023 regarding National Fellowship for SC

| YEAR                        | 2014-15              | 2015-16              | 2016-17              | p017-18              | 2018-2019     | 2019-2020            | 2020-2021            | 2021-2022            | 2022-2023            |
|-----------------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|---------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
| STATE                       | No. of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries | beneficiaries | No: of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries | No. of beneficiaries |
| ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS | 65                   | 55                   | 92                   | 78                   | 61            | 34                   | 22                   | 9                    |                      |
| ANDHRA PRADESH              | 197                  | 228                  | 584                  | 551                  | 528           | 429                  | 330                  | 244                  | 136                  |
| ARUNACHAL PRADESH           | 82                   | 100                  |                      | 91                   | 81            | 36                   | 18                   | 10                   |                      |
| ASSAM                       | 68                   | 63                   |                      | 103                  | 101           | 84                   | 62                   | 65                   | 67                   |
| BBIHAR                      | 333                  | 387                  | 276                  | 379                  | 342           | 189                  | 102                  | 83                   | 90                   |
| CHANDIGARH                  | 6                    | 5                    |                      | 5                    |               | 36                   | 3                    | 3                    |                      |
| CHHATTISGARH                | 56                   | 62                   | 81                   | 82                   | 81            |                      |                      | 33                   | 40                   |
| DELHI                       | 48                   | 57                   | 423                  |                      | 102           | 75                   |                      | 131                  | 173                  |
| GOA                         | 17                   |                      | 17                   | 12                   | 8             | 4                    |                      | 2                    |                      |
| GUJARAT                     | 79                   | 98                   | 178                  | 170                  | 159           |                      |                      | 83                   | 70                   |
| HARYANA                     | 108                  | 131                  | 223                  | 228                  | 213           | 147                  |                      | 160                  | 212                  |
| HIMACHAL PRADESH            | 38                   | 42                   | 22                   | 57                   | 40            | 39                   | 5                    | 99                   | 134                  |
| JAMMU AND KASHMIR           | 93                   | 104                  | 20                   | 121                  | 108           | 79                   | 67                   | 66                   | 72                   |
| DHARKHAND                   | 278                  | 266                  | 476                  | 415                  | 374           | 226                  | 149                  | 69                   | 40                   |
| KARNATAKA                   | 396                  | 473                  | 846                  | 82 1                 | 766           | 578                  | 447                  | 344                  | 217                  |
| KERALA                      | 99                   | 119                  | 296                  | 200                  | 207           |                      | 118                  | 97                   |                      |
|                             |                      |                      |                      |                      |               | 3                    | 9                    | 2                    | 0                    |
|                             | 126                  | 137                  | 451                  | 218                  | 215           | 149                  |                      | 91                   | 85                   |
| MMAHARASHTRA                | 165                  | 198                  | 359                  | 344                  | 330           | 250                  | 199                  | 184                  | 36                   |
| MANIPUR                     | 5                    |                      |                      | 8                    | 8             | 10                   | 14                   | 19                   | 24                   |
| IMEGHALAYA                  |                      |                      |                      | 2                    | 2             |                      |                      |                      |                      |
| MMIZORAM                    |                      |                      |                      |                      |               |                      | 0                    |                      | 2                    |
| NAGALAND                    | 34                   | 44                   |                      | 55                   | 53            | 38                   | 21                   | 5                    |                      |
| ODISHA                      |                      | 103                  | 295                  | 149                  | 158           | 113                  | 104                  | 104                  | 06                   |
| JPUDUCHERRY                 | 92                   | M                    | 18                   | 19                   | 17            | 9                    | 3                    | 2                    |                      |
| [PUNJAB                     | 143                  | 166                  | 298                  | 267                  | 234           | 202                  | 193                  | 221                  | 235                  |
| RAJASTHAN                   | 215                  | 350                  | 475                  | 497                  | 471           | 325                  | 224                  | 165                  | 179                  |
| SIKKIM                      | 0                    | 0                    |                      |                      | 0             | 0                    | 0                    |                      | 2                    |
|                             | 298                  | 357                  |                      | 713                  | 604           | 463                  | 332                  | 236                  | 132                  |
| TELANGANA                   | 32                   | 56                   | 744 134              |                      | 150           | 142                  | 137                  | 128                  | 119                  |
| TRIPURA                     | 2                    | 2                    |                      |                      | 6             |                      |                      | 6                    |                      |
|                             |                      |                      |                      |                      |               | 648                  | 587                  | 544                  | 591                  |
| UUTTAR PRADESH              | 568                  | 693                  | 949                  | 960                  | 906           |                      |                      |                      |                      |
| UUTTARAKHAND                | 88                   |                      | 291                  | 202                  | 192           | 136                  | 120                  | 80                   | 82                   |
| WEST BENGAL                 |                      | 195                  | 149                  | 303                  | 298           | 260                  | 302                  | 429                  | 534                  |

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