Telangana's Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu has asked the state's Finance Department officials to provide Rs 303 crore to cover outstanding Overseas Scholarship dues for Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Backward Classes (BC), Open Category (OC), and Minority students.

The Deputy CM's order provided much-needed relief to hundreds of families who had been waiting anxiously for months, The New Indian Express reports. 

“Rising living costs, new restrictions abroad, and mounting educational expenses caused severe hardship to thousands of families. This timely support of about Rs 20 lakhs per student brings much-needed relief and hope,” he stated in a post on X.

For many students from low- and middle-income families, the Overseas Scholarship program was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue higher education abroad and gain better job chances to support their families.

However, because the previous administration failed to release funding on schedule, students studying abroad and their parents back home in Telangana were forced into severe financial and emotional suffering.

Recognising the urgency of the situation, Bhatti ordered the immediate clearing of all outstanding Overseas Scholarship dues, and instructed that all pending amounts from 2022 till date be cleared at once.

In response to the announcement, families expressed happiness that the government is providing critical support of almost Rs 20 lakh per student, despite the state's dire financial circumstances, allowing their children to pursue their academic dreams.