Coaching Schemes For Sc/st/obc (non-creamy Layer) & Minority Students For Universities
Category: Education & Learning, Social welfare & Empowerment
Level: Central | State: All
Ministry: Ministry Of Minority Affairs

Details:
Coaching schemes for students belonging to SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribe), OBC (Other Backward Classes) (non-creamy layer), and minority communities are implemented to provide them with equal opportunities and support in pursuing higher education. These schemes aim to bridge the educational gap and enhance the competitiveness of these students. 
The Commission has been providing separate assistance to the universities 

- For remedial coaching at UG and PG levels.
- Coaching for entry into services.
- Coaching for NET to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minority Candidates. 

The Commission has decided to merge this scheme with the General Developmental Assistance scheme of the universities and assistance for this component will be over and above the ceiling of General Developmental Assistance. **Objective Of The Scheme**
**I.   REMEDIAL COACHING FOR SC/ST/OBC (NON-CREAMY LAYER) & MINORITY COMMUNITY STUDENTS** 
Remedial Coaching is to be organized at the Undergraduate and /or Postgraduate level with objectives to: 

- Improve the academic skills and linguistic proficiency of the students in various subjects. 
- To raise their level of comprehension of basic subjects to provide a stronger foundation for further academic work. 
- To strengthen their knowledge, skills, and attitudes in such subjects, where quantitative and qualitative techniques and laboratory activities are involved, so that, the necessary guidance and training provided under the program may enable the students to come up to the level necessary for pursuing higher studies efficiently and to reduce their failure and dropout rate. 
- To provide career guidance and psychological counseling for capacity building to those who are in need of such counseling. **II. COACHING CLASSES FOR ENTRY INTO SERVICES FOR SC/ST/OBC (NON-CREAMY LAYER) AND MINORITY COMMUNITY STUDENTS** Coaching scheme for entry into services is to be organized with objectives to: 

- Prepare students to gain useful employment in Group A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ in Central services, State services, and equivalent positions in the private sector. 
- To orient students for particular examinations conducted for selection to services such as IAS, State Public Services, Bank recruitment, etc.
- To focus on the specific requirements of a particular competitive examination. The University may develop Employment Information Cell for providing information about various competitive examinations in the area of their operation. **III.  COACHING FOR NATIONAL ELIGIBILITY TEST OR STATE ELIGIBILITY TEST FOR SC/ST/OBC (NON-CREAMY LAYER) & MINORITY COMMUNITY STUDENTS** 
The main objective of the scheme is to prepare Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minority Communities candidates for appearing in NET or SET so that a sufficient number of candidates becomes available for selection as Lecturers in the university system.

Benefits:
The institutions can apply for one or more components of the scheme according to the number of enrolment of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OBC (Non-Creamy Layer), and Minorities Communities Students. If, the number of students in a particular class is more, additional section(s) may be included.  Financial assistance is available for the following items: 

Non-recurring items: A “one-time” grant up to Rs. 5.0 lakhs for each scheme during the XII Plan period for the following items: 
1. Books and Journals 
2. Audio-visual and teaching/ learning aid material 
3. Computers with Printer 
4. Photocopier 
5. Generator or Inverter 

Recurring Items: Rs.7.00 lakhs for universities for each scheme per annum for expenditure on the following items: 
1. Honorarium to the Coordinator of the schemes @Rs. 2000/- per month  
2. Remuneration to teachers and scholars* 
3. Part-time staff with computer knowledge (on a contract basis) @ 6,000/- p.m.  
4. Part-time Peon/Attendant.@ Rs.1000/- p.m 
5. Contingency - Rs 50,000/- per annum  

Remuneration at the rate of Rs. 300/- per hour per subject to the teachers and Rs.200 /- per hour to postgraduate students/ Research Scholars could be paid for theory classes and Rs.150/-per hour respectively for practicals. Generally, a faculty member should not teach for more than 2 hours a day.  However, in exceptional cases where an eminent educationist is invited for a Special lecture, the remuneration @ Rs.500/- per hour and admissible T.A. could be paid with the approval of the Head of the Institution. The payment of remuneration to the participating teachers, PG students, and research scholars may be paid regularly every month without waiting for the pending grant from the UGC. 
The final amount of grant to be allocated would depend upon the number of schemes, the number of students enrolled for the schemes in the proposal, and the decision of the Committee appointed for serving the applicants for these schemes.  

Eligibility Criteria:
- Financial assistance under the scheme is available to such universities and colleges which come within the purview of Section 2(f) and are fit to receive central assistance under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, 1956.
- Institutions having a sufficient number of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minority Communities students will be considered for financial assistance. 
- General candidates holding BPL Cards (Below Poverty Line) issued by the Central Government /State Government may also be allowed for such coaching classes. 
- The percentage of OBC (non-creamy layer) and poor general candidates may be increased up to 40% if a sufficient number of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minority Communities students are not available.