Lok Sabha Question No. 1704 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: NTSE and Expenditure on PM's Pariksha Pe Charcha
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B, Smt. Mala Roy

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1704 ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## NTSE and Expenditure on PM's Pariksha Pe Charcha

1704 Smt. Mala Roy:

## Shri Manickam Tagore B:

Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) has been suspended during the last three years due to lack of funds, if so, the reasons thereof;
- (b) the total amount allocated for the NTSE scholarship programme during the last three years;
- (c) the Government's current stance on providing academic and financial support to talented students from underprivileged backgrounds through programmes like NTSE;
- (d) the total expenditure on the PM's Pariksha Pe Charcha programme including the associated costs, and the rationale for the allocation of such funds on such programmes during the last five years, year-wise and State-wise; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  intends  to  reconsider  its  funding  priorities  to  ensure  the continuation and revitalization of programmes like NTSE, which provide direct academic support to students, especially in the light of growing concerns over academic progression and future career prospects among deserving students?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): The National Talent Search Examination (NTSE) is conducted by NCERT under the National Talent Search Scheme (NTSS) which has been in operation since 1963 to identify and reward students with exceptional ability and aptitude. A third-party evaluation report on NTSS was submitted by the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to this Department in February 2021. The evaluation report and ensuing examination revealed several limitations in scheme design and implementation such as persistent under- representation  of  rural  areas,  girls  and  certain  States  among  scholarship  awardees,  lack  of access to examination centres due to long travel distance, insufficiency of financial assistance, ineffective nurturance and inadequate dissemination of scheme. Consequently, the scheme and its major components have been undergoing comprehensive review to align it with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and to address key limitations constraining its effectiveness, impact and reach.

The Central Government has increased Budget allocation of Ministry of Education (MoE) from Rs.  93,224  Crore  for  the  year  2021-22  to  Rs.  1,04,278  Crore  for  the  year  2022-23  to  Rs. 1,12,899 Crore for the year 2023-24 and Rs. 1,21,118 Crores in the year 2024-25 for various activities of the Ministry, which shows that there is no lack of funds. At the same time, Rs 60 Crore was allocated for disbursing scholarship to 22,719 students from FY 2021-22 to FY 2024-25.

The allocation for NTSS during the last three and current financial year is as follows:

| Financial Year          |   Financial Allocation (Rs. in Crore) |
|-------------------------|---------------------------------------|
| 2021-22                 |                                 13.62 |
| 2022-23                 |                                 20    |
| 2023-24                 |                                 15    |
| 2024-25 (upto 5.3.2025) |                                 11.5  |
| Total                   |                                 60.12 |

The National Education Policy points out that there are innate talents in every student, which must  be  discovered,  nurtured,  fostered,  and  developed.  It  also  advocates  for  creating  a supportive  and  inclusive  environment  where  such  students  receive  mentorship,  specialized programs, and opportunities for deeper exploration in their areas of interest. The policy also stresses  the  importance  of  collaboration  with  experts  and  institutions  to  ensure  that  gifted students are given the necessary resources and guidance to reach their full potential and excel alongside their peers. The Government of India is committed towards providing support to talented students and gifted students.

The  Government  of  India  also  implements  the  'National  Means-cum-Merit  Scholarship Scheme  (NMMSS);  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  which  awards  scholarships  to  meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop out at class VIII and encourage them to continue study at secondary stage. Under NMMSS, one lakh fresh scholarships @ Rs.12000/-  per  annum  are  awarded  to  selected  students  of  class  IX  every  year  and  their continuation/renewal in classes X to XII for study in a State Government, Government-aided and Local body schools.

The total expenditure incurred on Pariksha Pe Charcha during the last five years is given below:

|   Year |   Expenditure Incurred (Rs. in Crore) |
|--------|---------------------------------------|
|   2020 |                                  5.69 |
|   2021 |                                  6    |
|   2022 |                                  8.16 |
|   2023 |                                 27.7  |
|   2024 |                                 16.83 |

Pariksha Pe Charcha (PPC) normalises the process of examination in the life of a child by providing a conducive platform for students, parents and teachers to share examination related issues, anxiety and anecdotes. In the process, they get an opportunity to gain practical insights, tips and motivation from the Hon'ble PM and experts from various fields to handle the stress and pressure surrounding examinations. Participation of more than 5 crore students, teachers and  parents  in  the  latest  PPC  underscores  the  need  for  such  a  programme.  Expenditure  as indicated above is incurred on various components including hospitality for children travelling from all across the country and overall organisation of the event.

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