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The Committee learned that the guidelines are under revision, and the scholarships will be disbursed within the first four to five months of the academic year.
The Committee has repeatedly recommended appropriate measures for this issue, but the situation remains unchanged. (Image: Canva)
A parliamentary panel has strongly recommended the prompt distribution of post-matric scholarships to students and urged for the guidelines to be revised as soon as possible. In its report presented in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment, led by PC Mohan, stated that scholarships should be disbursed within the same academic year for students to benefit effectively.
The Committee has repeatedly recommended appropriate measures for this issue, but the situation remains unchanged, reported PTI. The Committee is pleased to learn that the guidelines are under revision, and the scholarships will be disbursed within the first four to five months of the academic year. It also observed that a significant portion of the budget sanctioned for 2024-25 was returned by the department and recommended ensuring that allocated funds for educational schemes are fully utilized.
Regarding the Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs, the panel noted that the annual family income limit for beneficiaries is Rs 8 lakh, while there is no income eligibility criterion for PM-CARES Fund beneficiaries. It recommended raising the family income ceiling under the scheme to better achieve its target.
The Committee also noted that out of 47,537 villages identified to be declared as Adarsh Gram, only 13,947 have been declared so far by various state governments since 2023-24. It recommended addressing the issues hindering the scheme’s progress to ensure the villages identified are declared as ‘Adarsh Gram’ within a year or two and the necessary facilities are provided.
Regarding tribal welfare, the panel observed that 377 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) are operating from their own buildings out of the 723 sanctioned since 2018-19 and recommended that the ministry ensure the completion of each EMRS within the stipulated construction period. The committee also recommended establishing a mechanism to ensure the pending work of in-line ministries under PM-JANMAN is completed within the extended period, i.e., by March 31, 2027. It suggested raising the annual family income ceiling under the National Overseas Scheme for ST students to ensure the scheme benefits the tribal population in the country.
On minority welfare, the panel noted that students have been unable to benefit from pre- and post-matric scholarship schemes of the Ministry of Minority Affairs since 2022-23 due to irregularities reported in some states. It recommended exploring the possibility of implementing the scheme in states where no or very few irregularities have been reported and conducting a study to assess the reasons for non-implementation and its impact on minorities.
March 12, 2026, 10:55 IST
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