The Centre awarded pre-matric scholarships to 1,03,34,708 (1.03 crore) Scheduled Tribe students during the past five years, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. The Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students caters to those in classes 9-10, belonging to families with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh.
Over 1 crore ST students benefit from centre's scholarships in last 5 years
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 21, 2023 10:26 IST
The Central Government has conferred pre-matric scholarships upon a staggering 1,03,34,708 (1.03 crore) Scheduled Tribe students over the past five years, as revealed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Additionally, post-matric scholarships were awarded to 68,74,363 (68.74 lakh) Scheduled Tribe (ST) students during this same period.
Providing further details, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Bishweswar Tudu, informed the Upper House that 11,925 Scheduled Tribe students were recipients of the national scholarship for higher education. Moreover, 13,326 students secured the national fellowship for higher education during this five-year span.
The scope of support extends beyond national borders, with 170 students benefiting from the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme. The Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students caters to those in classes 9-10, belonging to families with an annual income below Rs 2.5 lakh. Funding for this scholarship is shared, with the Centre contributing 75 percent and the state contributing 25 percent (90 percent and 10 percent for northeast and hill states, respectively).
Similarly, the Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Students encompasses students in Class 11 and above, with an annual parental income below Rs 2.5 lakh. The National Scholarship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students supports graduate/postgraduate courses for ST students in various professional fields, provided their annual parental income is below Rs 6 lakh.
Furthermore, the National Fellowship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students aids meritorious students pursuing MPhil or PhD in India, offering 750 fresh fellowships every year.
The National Overseas Scholarship supports 20 students annually for pursuing master's degrees, PhD, and post-doctoral research in the top 1,000 world-ranking universities abroad. This opportunity is accessible to ST students with an annual family income not exceeding Rs 6 lakh. The initiatives collectively contribute to fostering education and empowerment among scheduled tribe communities.
(With PTI inputs)
Published By:
Divya Chopra
Published On:
Dec 21, 2023
English (US) ·