The State sets aside special allocation in the Budget for giving scholarships to SC/ST students who get admission, on merit or reservation-basis, to recognised institutions in other States as the Centre has fixed an income limit for the scholarship, Minister for SC/ST K. Radhakrishnan said in the Assembly Thursday.
He was replying to a submission by Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan.
The Centre is currently giving post-matric scholarships to only those SC/ST students whose annual family income is less than ₹2.5 lakh.
Until 2021-22, these scholarships were being distributed to students through the Treasury. However, these Budget statements were linked to the Public Fund Monitoring System, following a directive of the Union Government. Though due to some technical issues, there were disruptions in the distribution of scholarships, the process has been reinitiated now, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
For this financial year, an amount of ₹10 crore has been deposited into a Single Nodal Account for giving scholarships to SC students studying in other States. Steps are being taken to distribute ₹59.6 lakh through SNA account to ST students.
The government has already issued a comprehensive GO on scholarships to SC/ST students who secure admission to many new generation courses, CA or Company Secretary courses or courses of IIM/IIT or NIFT in other States.
From this academic year, post-matric scholarships will be given to SC/ST students going for higher studies to other States through e-Grants portal. The government is thus taking proactive measures to enable the higher education of SC/ST students and to channel them to various employment sectors, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
