Government may revise post-matric scholarship for Scheduled Caste students

In order to prevent duplication of applications and bring in greater transparency, the government is mulling revising the existing scheme of post-matric scholarship for Scheduled Caste students.

The move comes in the backdrop of unearthing of corruption in implementation of centrally-sponsored 'post-matric scholarship and freeship' in six most backward districts of Maharastra recently.

As per the revised guidelines, the uniqueness of the student will be ensured through the SSC Roll number and month and year of passing through ID of State Education Board or other Boards and making it mandatory for the beneficiaries to enroll with Aadhaar. It also proposes seeding of Aadhaar with the bank accounts of beneficiaries, said a senior official from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Also strict time lines for submission and processing of the applications have been proposed.

For normal courses like BA, BSc, MA, MSc etc the last date for submission of applications by the institutions to the sanctioning authority should not go beyond August 31. For professional courses, the last date should be November 30, according to the new guidelines proposed, the official said.

The guidelines also stress on institutional mapping so that only the institutions recognised by the appropriate body of the State and Centre will be eligible for the scheme. "Also, there is a need to cap the number of beneficiaries. The system has to ensure that the number of beneficiaries enrolling in the courses at Post-Senior Secondary level at any time does not exceed the number that availed the PMS in the 12th standard," the official said.

The scholarships enable SC students to pursue post-matric education including engineering and medical courses. The scheme is implemented by the states, which receive 100% central assistance from government of India. Scholarships are paid to students whose parents' income from all sources does not exceed Rs 2,50,000 per annum. While the tuition fee of the candidates is reimbursed to the colleges, the scholarship is deposited in the students' accounts.