3.54 Crore SCS & OBCS Students Covered Under Digital Payment of 14 Scholarship Schemes

New Delhi: 14 scholarship schemes for Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) / Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-nomadic Tribes (DNTs) students covering 3.54 crore students are under digital payment. All Scholarship amount are released to students’ bank account and there is 60% Aadhaar seeding in SC student bank account. This was stated by Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment while addressing a Press Conference on “Major Social Welfare Initiatives” here yesterday. Educational Empowerment for SCs is through scholarships, hostels for students, coaching facilities, capital for creation/upgradation of premises, institution etc.

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment implements seven different types of scholarships, which include: Post and Pre-Matric Scholarships; Top Class Scholarship; National Overseas Scholarships; National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes administered by the UGC; Pre-Matric Scholarship for Children of those engaged in unclean occupations; Free Coaching for Scheduled Castes and OBCs (70: 30 ratio); and Upgradation of merit. The Government of India believes that Education for all is the key to empowerment. Nearly 54 % of Budget of the M/o SJ&E is incurred on scholarships for Scheduled castes.

Each branch of public sector banks has been assigned responsibility by the Finance Ministry to handhold at least one SC/ST youth, as an entrepreneur, to generate more employment among them.