Following is from an old PIB from 2003.
Despite India’s "political triumph of democracy", deprived sections of the society continue to remain marginalised. One of the major reasons has been wide spread illiteracy among these sections. Literacy is an important indicator of human development index. The literacy rate for Scheduled Castes (SC) in 1991 was 37.4 per cent as compared to 57.7 per cent for others. Expressing concern over the plight of those living on the fringes of social spectrum, the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, "Independence is incomplete without social justice". It may not be out of place to mention that these marginalised sections constitute a sizable portion of our population. According to the 1991 census, the Scheduled Castes comprise 16.73 per cent. The Other Backward Castes (OBCs) constitute 52 per cent and the Minorities 18 per cent of the country’s total population.
Dr.Bhim Rao Ambedkar believed that education is everybody’s birthright and should be available to the poorest of the poor. Education is the stepping stone towards social, economic and political empowerment. In pursuance of this, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has accorded top priority to radical improvement in literacy rates among the weaker sections. It has taken several major initiatives during the last five years in this direction. Lauding these efforts the Prime Minister said at the National Convention of Minorities , "It is good that you are focusing on education. Education is an investment for development, for progress and for a better future".
Towards Self-Reliance
To meet the emerging challenges, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has embarked upon schemes to promote merit among the SC/ST students right from the beginning. One of them is the Dr. Ambedkar National Merit Scholarship Scheme for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students launched early this year to encourage merit and excellence among them from the school level. Under this scheme more then Rs.1.25 crore would be distributed as scholarship to 458 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students having secured highest marks in 26 Education Boards/ Councils in the country each year. The Social Justice & Empowerment Minister, Dr. Satyanarayan Jatiya, described it as a historic initiative for generating self-confidence and self-reliance among SC/ST students.
The other scheme provides for upgradation of Merit of SC/ST students through cent per cent Central Assistance to the States/UTs for arranging remedial and special coaching for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students studying in class IX to XII. While remedial coaching aims at removing deficiencies in school subjects, special coaching is provided with a view to preparing students for competitive examinations for entry into professional courses like engineering and medical.
To enable them to pursue higher studies abroad, the National Overseas Scholarship Scheme to seventeen meritorious SC and ST students has also been improved. The rate of maintenance allowance has been enhanced to US $ 7,700 per annum or Pound Sterling 5,000 per annum per candidate. The scheme also provides for US $ 500 per annum for meeting various contingency expenses besides air passage, visa fee, equipment allowance and incidental expenses charged by the institution and insurance premium.
Many students belonging to the weaker sections find it difficult to compete for entry into institutions of higher learning or for employment. Consequently, the reserved quotas for them in technical and professional courses remain under-utilized. Therefore, NGOs, universities and institutions of repute are provided 90 per cent central assistance in running coaching and allied assistance programmes to prepare such students for competitive examinations.
Initiative
For their higher education, the Central Government is running a post-matric scholarship scheme for the SC students. They are also provided financial assistance. The amount varies from Rs. 90 to Rs. 425 per month for pursuing studies beyond matriculation in recognised institutions. There are other incentives also like reimbursement of compulsory non-refundable fees and study tour charges. The coverage under this scheme has grown at a much faster rate than that of the growth rate in the SC population. More than 93 per cent of SC students in the country are now covered under this scheme. An estimated number of over 46 lakh students have benefited from this scheme since 1999-2000.
The Central assistance under the scheme is normally provided to State /UT governments on 50:50 basis over and above the committed liability. The annual committed liability of the States during the Ninth Plan under the scheme was Rs. 231 crore. It would be Rs.390 crore per annum during the Tenth Plan as per existing pattern. The Centre is actively considering to revise the rates of maintenance allowance and other norms of the Scheme in view of the rising cost of books, school fees and food.
Yet another scholarship scheme at the pre-matric level has become popular with the children of the families engaged in occupations like scavenging and leather tanning. The number of beneficiaries increased by nearly 42 per cent during the first three years of the Ninth Plan.
The implementation of the scheme of hostels for SC boys and girls has been stepped up since 1998-1999. During the last 4 years 285 hostels were sanctioned for the boys and 183 for girls. These hostels are meant to enable the SC students pursue their studies in a congenial atmosphere. To encourage mixing among students, these hostels are allowed to accommodate non-SC students upto 10 per cent.
Two new schemes are on the anvil to boost quality education among the Scheduled Castes. These include provision of assistance to the SC students for pursuing studies in residential public schools. Under it meritorious students with family incomes of less than Rs. 1 lakh per annum would be financially assisted in getting quality education. The assistance would help them in fully meeting boarding, lodging fees and cost of study material charged by the management. It would be subject to a ceiling of Rs. 80 thousand per annum per student from Class VI to XII.
Another scheme in the pipeline envisages setting up of residential schools for SC/ST students studying between Class VI and XII. One residential school would be set up in districts where the literacy rate of the SCs is much lower than the general category. Such residential schools numbering 125 would be set up in the country with the establishment of 25 schools in each year under the Tenth Plan. The enrollment target in these schools stipulates admission to at least 30 per cent SC/ST girl students and 3 per cent disabled SC/ST students.
Yet another scheme on the anvil is to provide Bridge Education for Children living in city slum or street children. Under the scheme children between the age group of 6-10 years would be provided educational material and nutrition in the shape of one glass of milk and 2 biscuits per child per day.
Schemes for Disabled
There are about 10 million children with disabilities in the country according to the National Sample Survey Organisation Report, 1991. Reportedly being considered less productive even by their own families, they often require special learning aids and financial support besides encouragement from the scommunity to get proper education.
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has started the Scheme of National Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities since the last financial year. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to students with disabilities for pursuing higher and technical education. To begin with 500 scholarships have been made available under the scheme. The amount of award varies from Rs.1000 per month for post-graduate courses to Rs.400 for graduate level professional courses. The awardees are also reimbursed the course fee upto Rs.10,000 per year. They are supported with financially for acquiring special aids and appliances for pursuing their studies.
The Ministry has also been providing a new thrust to not only encouraging new enrolments in schools and preventing drop-outs among the weaker and deprived sections but also imparting them with quality education. It is a new approach to tackle the problem rooted in history.
With the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a time-bound programme for imparting elementary education to all children in the age group of 6-14 years by 2010, it is expected that all gender and social gaps would be bridged. Coupled with the provision of facilities for quality education the deprived people would be able to compete with the rest of the country’s population on a level platform. It would also create an urge among them for achieving excellence and make themselves equal partners in the country’s march towards a better future. (PIB Features)
*Contributed by Shri M.L.Dhar, Information Officer, PIB, New Delhi
November 21st, 2007
Following is an excerpt from an Economic Times report on this.
If you figure in the list of meritorious 1 lakh students, you will get Rs 1 lakh annually for pursuing university education in science stream and the amount may continue up to five years. The government is planning to institute scholarships to encourage education in science and technology. While modalities of selecting meritorious students are yet to be worked out, it is proposed that the future scientists would be caught young in the 12th class itself.
The financial assistance would be given to such students while pursuing BSc and MSc courses. “We have proposed to give adequate financial support to sufficient number of students to foster talent in scientific research. The government is considering to award 1 lakh scholarships of Rs 1 lakh each.
Meritorious students pursuing university education in science stream would be eligible for the award. The proposal is expected to be incorporated in the 11th Five-Year Plan, and expected to be announced in the forthcoming National Development Council (NDC) meeting,” a source in the government said.
It is understood that the proposed scholarship would be modelled on the line of INSPIRE programme mooted by the department of science & technology (DST).
INSPIRE stands for innovations in science pursuit for inspired research. The programme aims at reaching out to the young talent and help them to pursue their interest in science.
“It is also an intervention devised to redress low entry of students into science and technology streams,” a DST source said. After the programme would get a formal approval, the selection procedure for the meritorious students would be announced.
… It is expected that the budget allocation of scientific departments would be enhanced significantly in the 11th Plan. The plan allocation has been doubled from about Rs 12,000 crore in the 9th Plan to about Rs 25,000 crore in the 10 Plan and it is planned to increased it approximately four fold in the 11th Plan, official sources said.
October 26th, 2007
UPDATE: Please go to http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/schemes/scholarships/scholarships.htm for the detailed and up to date information. If you don’t find some information there you need to send mail to the people at http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/schemes/schemes_email.asp or contact the people at http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/main/contact_us.asp for information. Posting a comment to this blog does not help.
Form for Students
Forms for State/UT Govts
List of Institutions eligible for full reimbursement
Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme for Minority Communities Students
Objective:
The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious students belonging to minority communities to enable them to pursue professional and technical courses.
Scope:
These scholarships are available for studies in India only and will be awarded through an Agency designated by the State Government/UT Administration for this purpose.
Number of scholarship:
Every year 20000 scholarships will be distributed among the students of minority communities throughout the country. Based on the state-wise population of these communities, the distribution of scholarship will be as under:
State-wise distribution of scholarships: See http://minorityaffairs.gov.in/newsite/schemes/scholarships/scheme_details.htm
For Orissa: 81 for Muslims, 95 for Christians, 2 for Sikhs, and 1 for Buddhists. (total 179)
Conditions for Scholarship:
i) Financial assistance will be given to pursue degree and/or post graduate level technical and professional courses from a recognized institution. Maintenance allowance will be credited to the student’s account. The course fee will be paid by the State Department directly to the institute concerned.
ii) Students who get admission to a college to pursue technical/professional courses, on the basis of a competitive examination will be eligible for the scholarship.
iii) Students who get admission in technical/professional courses without facing any competitive examination will also be eligible for scholarship. However, such students should have not less than 50% marks at higher secondary/graduation level. Selection of these students will be done strictly on merit basis.
iv) Continuation of the scholarship in subsequent years will depend on successful completion of the course during the preceding year.
v) A scholarship holder under this scheme will not avail any other scholarship/stipend for pursuing the course.
vi) The annual income of the beneficiary/parent or guardian of beneficiary should not exceed Rs.2.50 lakh from all sources.
vii) The state department will advertise the scheme every year latest by 31st March and receive the application through the concerned institutions.
viii) After scrutinizing the applications, the state department will prepare a consolidated budget for all eligible students and send an application in the prescribed pro-forma for release of fund from the Ministry of Minority Affairs for distribution of scholarship giving the details of each students viz. name, permanent address, telephone number, annual course fee, name & address of institute, whether hostler or day-scholar, etc.
ix) The application for release of fund from the state department must be received in the Ministry by 30th of September every year.
x) The state department will maintain separate bank account and records relating to the funds received from the Ministry and they will be subjected to inspection by the officers of the Ministry or any other agency designated by the Ministry.
xi) The fund for distribution of scholarship in subsequent year will be released after receiving the utilization certificate for the previous year. Annual inspection by the officers of the Ministry or any other agencies designated by the Ministry will also be carried out.
xii) 30% scholarship will be reserved for girls of each minority community in a state which is transferable to male student of that community in case of non-availability of female candidate in that community in the concerned state.
xiii) If the target for distribution of scholarship to a particular minority community in a state/UT is not fulfilled, it will be distributed among the same minority community of other States/UTs strictly in accordance with the merit.
xiv) A student residing in a particular State/UT will be entitled for scholarship under the quota of that State/UT only irrespective of his place of study.
xv) The number of scholarship has been fixed state-wise on the basis of minority population of the states/UTs. Within the state-wise allocations, the applications from reputed institutions will be exhausted first. The list of such institutions will be made available by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
xvi) The scheme will be evaluated at regular intervals and the cost of the evaluation will be borne by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under the provision of the scheme. An additional provision of 3% of the total budget will be made to meet the administrative and allied costs viz. expenditure on monitoring of the scheme, impact study, evaluation study, purchase of office equipments, engaging of contract employees, if necessary and other expenditure to run the cell etc. This will be shared between the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India and the State Governments/UT Administration.
Rate of Scholarship:
The rate of scholarship will be as under:
Sl.No.
|
Type of Financial Assistance
|
Rate for hostler
|
Rate for Day Scholar
|
1.
|
Maintenance Allowance (For 10 months only)
|
Rs.10,000/-per annum
( Rs.1000 p.m.)
|
Rs.5,000/- per annum.
( Rs.500 p.m.)
|
2.
|
Course Fee*
|
Rs.20,000/- per annum or Actual whichever is less
|
Rs.20,000/- per annum or Actual whichever is less
|
Total
|
|
Rs.30,000/-
|
Rs.25,000/-
|
* Full course fee will be reimbursed for eligible institutions listed at Annexure-III
Payment:
i) Maintenance allowance is payable from 1st April or from the month of admission, whichever is later, to the month in which the examinations are completed, (including maintenance allowance during holidays) maximum twice a year, provided that if the scholar secures admission after the 20th day of a month, the amount will be paid from the month following the month of admission.
ii) In case of renewal of scholarships awarded in the previous years, maintenance allowance will be paid from the month following the month upto which scholarship was paid in the previous year, if the course of study is continuous.
iii) The Government of the State/Union Territory Administration, to which they belong, in accordance with the procedure laid down by them in this regard, will pay the scholarship money to the selected students.
iv) Scholarship will not be paid for the period of internship/housemanship in the M.B.B.S. course or for a practical training in other course if the student is in receipt of some remuneration during the internship period or some allowance/stipend during the practical training in other course.
Other Conditions for the Award:
i) The scholarship is dependent on the satisfactory progress and conduct of the scholar. If it is reported by the Head of the Institution at any time that a scholar has by reasons of his/her own act of default failed to make satisfactory progress or has been guilty of misconduct such as resorting to or participating in strikes, irregularity in attendance without the permission of the authorities concerned etc., the authority sanctioning the scholarship may either cancel the scholarship or stop or withhold further payment for such period as it may think fit.
ii) If a student is found to have obtained a scholarship by false statement, his/her scholarship will be cancelled forthwith and the amount of the scholarship paid will be recovered, at the discretion of the concerned State Government. The student concerned will be blacklisted and debarred for scholarship in any scheme forever.
iii) A scholarship awarded may be cancelled if the scholar changes the subject of the course of study for which the scholarship was originally awarded or changes the Institution of study, without prior approval of the State Government. The Head of the Institution shall report such cases to them and stop payment of the scholarship money. The amount already paid may also be recovered at the discretion of the State Government.
iv) A scholar is liable to refund the scholarship amount at the discretion of the State Government, if during the course of the year, the studies for which the scholarship has been awarded, is discontinued by him/her.
v) The regulations can be changed at anytime at the discretion of the Government of India.
Procedure for Applying
i) An application for scholarship should comprise:
a) One copy of the application for scholarship in the prescribed form (separate application forms prescribed for ‘fresh’ and renewal of scholarship by the concerned States/UTs).
b) One copy of the passport size photograph with signatures of the student thereon (for fresh scholarship).
c) One attested copy of certificates, diploma, degree etc. in respect of all examinations passed.
d) An income declaration by the self-employed parents/guardians, stating definite income from all sources by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper. Employed parents/guardians are required to obtain income certificate from their employer and for any additional income from other sources, they would furnish declaration by way of an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper.
e) Proof of permanent residence.
f) A receipt in acknowledgement of the scholarship in the previous year on the form attached to the application duly counter-signed by the Head of the Institution concerned, if the application was in receipt of a scholarship under this scheme in the preceding year.
g) The State department should satisfy itself that the student belongs to a particular minority community.
ii) Application complete in all respects shall be submitted to the Head of the Institution, being attended or last attended by the candidates and shall be addressed to an officer specified for this purpose by the Government of State/ Union Territory to which the student belongs, in accordance with the instructions issued by them from time to time.
Funding Pattern of the Scheme:
The Scheme will be implemented by the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations, which receive 100% central assistance from Government of India for the total expenditure under the scheme.
September 29th, 2007