Lok Sabha Question No. 2496 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-01
Subject: Talented Children
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No.2496 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2016

## Talented Children

## †2496. SHRI LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is aware that deserving and talented children are not able to avail higher education in the country;

(b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

- (c)  the  number  of  children  belonging  to  Below  Poverty  Line  (BPL)  category  who  got admission in higher education courses during the last three years and the current year, State-wise; and
- (d) whether the Government has maintained any data in this regard and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (Dr. MAHENDRA NATH PANDEY)

(a) & (b): The Government is committed to ensure that deserving and talented children avail  higher  education  in  the  country.  In  order  to  ensure  this,  the  Government  has undertaken  various  student  financial  assistance  schemes  such  as  comprehensive Educational  Loan  Scheme,  tuition  fee  waiver  scheme,  interest  subsidy  scheme  on Model Education Loan for students belonging to economically weaker sections and also scholarships to  ensure  that  no  deserving  student  in  the  country  is  deprived  of  higher education for want of finances. The details are annexed.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified UGC  (Grievance Redressal)  Regulations,  2012  wherein  it  has  been  made  mandatory  for  all  the Universities  to  appoint  an  ombudsman  for  redressal  of  grievances  relating  to  unfair practices in admission etc. Various common Admission Tests such as Joint Entrance Exam (JEE), etc. are conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to ensure merit based admission. Reservation in admission of the students belonging to the  Scheduled  Castes,  the  Scheduled  Tribes  and  the  Other  Backward  Classes  (noncreamy  layer)  to  certain  Central  Educational  Institutions  is  mandated  by  the  Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006.

(c) & (d): The details are not centrally maintained.

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STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2496  FOR  01-08-2016  ASKED  BY  SHRI  LAXMI NARAYAN YADAV, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING TALENTED CHILDREN.

Under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the focus is on serving the unserved and underserved areas to increase the access for higher education.

For protecting the interests of the socially and economically backward students of IITs, the following concessions have been given:

- a)  The SC/ST/PH students shall get complete fee waiver.
- b)  The  most  economically  backward  students  (whose  family  income  is  less  than Rs.1 lakh per annum) shall get full remission of the fee.

Under Central Sector Interest Subsidy Scheme (CSISS), an amount of Rs.767.11 crore was disbursed in 2015-16 which included Rs.579.61 crore for General, Rs.156.86 crore  for  SC  and  Rs.30.64  crore  for  ST  students.  The  entire  budget  for  General category,  SC  and  ST  category  was  utilized.  This  subsidy  is  provided  to  students belonging to economically weaker sections.