Centre to provide 75% of the funds for post-matric scholarship for SC students 

As a part of its 100-day agenda, the ministry has prioritised clearing arrears amounting to Rs 3,000 crore under the post-matric scholarship
Image for representational purpose only
Image for representational purpose only

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is considering coming up with a new fund sharing arrangement for a post-matric scholarship for scheduled caste students, said Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawarchand Gehlot while assuming office on Tuesday.

As a part of the proposal, the minister is considering a 75-25 formula of fund-sharing where the Centre will take responsibility for 75 per cent of the funds and the remaining share would be held by the states.

Currently, the scheme is run on the lines of committed liability where the major portion of the funds is borne by the states and the Centre provides additional support.

As a part of its 100-day agenda, the ministry has prioritised clearing arrears amounting to Rs 3,000 crore under the post-matric scholarship, the minister said.

“There was a major problem clearing the pending arrears and our ministry had to struggle with the Finance Ministry throughout the year to get requisite funds for disbursal to states under the Post-matric scholarship scheme for SC students. Now, Rs 3,000 crore is still due, and clearing this amount is a priority for us in the next 100 days,” said Gehlot.

Gehlot said the government will also initiate the process of setting up of a Mental Rehabilitation Centre in Bhopal and Centre for Disability Sports in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh within the next 100 days. A proposal of setting up a University for persons with disabilities in Assam is also in the pipeline, he added.

The government has also selected 3,300 villages which have a higher ratio of people belonging to scheduled caste for development under the scheme of Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana.

The Centre will also convene a meeting of the welfare development board for the purpose of implementing welfare and development programmes for the DNTs. The board will ensure that special strategies are designed to reach out to the stigmatised communities.

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