February 4, 2021
TED NewsDesk, New Delhi: To benefit the poorest of the Scheduled Caste households in a state or union territory, the Government of India has made a few changes in the Post-matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Caste students. Under the revised scheme, the state and Union Territories will get 40 per cent share of the average demand while the centre will have a 60 per cent share. The north-eastern states will have a 90 per cent share. The government will grant fund for three years (2017-18 to 2019-20). The beneficiaries would also get 5 per cent of annual increase per annum.
As per an official statement, the annual assistance fund will cover the non-refundable tuition fees of the course, and academic allowances based on the rates of the course group.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Rattan Lal Kataria, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, said, “Starting from 2021-22, the Central share in the scheme would be released on DBT mode directly into the bank accounts of the students.”
The scheme will function online on a secured platform to avoid fraudulent acts. The union government has set guidelines for timely delivery, continuous supervision, comprehensive accountability and complete transparency for the scheme to function safely.
The government along with the UT administration, is all set to spread awareness about the Post-matric Scholarship Schemes for SC students. It will seek help from school committees, use Gram Panchayat notice boards, inculcate discussion in the PTA meetings, etc.
Taking efforts to empower students and adopting the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode to provide financial assistance would help the government prevent the misuse of funds.
Source: NDTV
