Centre proposes Rs 7,200-crore scholarship for reserved class

The Government of India is envisaging a Rs 7,200-crore national scholarship plan for the meritorious students (class 9 to the post-graduation level) from the Denotified, Nomadic and semi-Nomadic Tribe (DNT), OBC, SC, and economically backward caste (EBC) categories. Along with it, there is another proposal for a national action plan for the wellbeing of senior citizens. The target is to involve senior citizens in guiding and teaching students for the planned scholarship scheme. The plan has been tentatively termed as PM-Yasasvi (PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India). Both the proposals are likely to be pass during the next month’s budgetary announcements.

The government is having a number of post-matric and pre-matric scholarship schemes for DNTs, EBCs, SCs, OBCs, and other disadvantaged sections. However, many times, a process based on merit wasn’t implemented and renewals become tedious. The financial burden for these plans was put on states after 2017. They were to bear 90 per cent of the burden. The consequences were not good after the burden as most of the times, funds would not reach the beneficiaries. Considering the problem, the centre has envisioned to come out with a solution in the form of an integrated scheme. The centre would raise funding from 10 per cent to a 60:40 centre-state ratio.

The social justice and empowerment ministry has been assigned to combine all the prevailing scholarship plans under PM-Yasasvi. This envisaged scheme will select students based on the merit test to be held by June-July 2020. Around 85 lakh students are likely to be granted a scholarship in the first year itself. Scholarship funds will cover maintenance and tuition fees of beneficiaries and will go directly to the students’ bank accounts.

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