The Center has said that there is no proposal to discontinue the matric scholarship scheme for Scheduled Tribes or Scheduled Caste students. There is a concern about whether the scheme will continue beyond 2025-26.
In a written response in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale said that the scheme aims to increase the Gross enrollment ratio of SC and ST students in higher education and there is no plan to scrap the scheme.
Both schemes are currently being applied with funds and eligibility parameters approved by the Cabinet and Expenditure Finance Committee, which are valid from the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Center-state funding patterns vary to SC and ST students.
For SC students, except north-eastern states, the cost-sharing ratio between the Center and the states is 60:40, where it is 90:10.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment issues direct central parts for students’ Aadhaar-seed bank accounts through the National Scholarship Portal (NSP), but only after the state destroys 40 percent stake.
For ST students, the fund-sharing ratio is at 75:25 between the Center and the states.
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The Ministry of Tribal Affairs released 75 percent amount in the state governments or center areas, which then contributes the remaining 25 percent and transfer the entire amount to the students through direct profit transfer (DBT) in the same installment.
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