Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs & Others

Why is in news? “Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs & Others and Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SC students (PMS-SC)”

Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students:

The Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students (PMS-SC) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the SC students for studies in India only whose Parent/Guardian's income should not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum.

Objective: To provide financial assistance to the Scheduled Castes students and to appreciably increase the Gross Enrollment Ratio of SC students in higher education with a focus on those from the poorest households.

It is the endeavour of the Government to raise the GER of SCs in higher education from 23.0 % to the national average till FY2025-26.

Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs and Others:

Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs and Others is a Centrally Sponsored scheme with the objective of promoting literacy and uninterrupted education at the Pre-Matric level for children belonging to Scheduled Castes and children of parents/guardian who are engaged in unclean and hazardous occupations.

Two components of the scheme:

Component 1: Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC students

The students should be studying in class IX and X on a full time basis.

They should belong to a Scheduled Caste.

Their Parent/Guardian's income should not exceed Rs. 2.50 lakh per annum.

Component 2: Pre-Matric scholarship for children of parents/guardians engaged in Unclean and hazardous Occupation

The students should be studying in classes I to X on a full time basis

Scholarship will be admissible to the children/wards of parents/guardians who, irrespective of their caste/religion belong to one of the following categories; - Persons who are Manual Scavengers as defined under section 2(I) (g) of Manual Scavengers Act 2013, Tanners & Flayers; Waste pickers and Persons engaged in hazardous cleaning as defined in Section 2(I) (d) of Manual Scavengers Act 2013.

There is no family income ceiling under this component of the Scheme.

Recent Changes in the Schemes:

Funding pattern under Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs & Others: This scheme is based on fixed sharing pattern of 60:40 between Centre and State (90:10 in case of NE states, Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh and 100:0 in case of UT without legislature);

Funding Pattern under PMS-SC: Funding pattern has been revised during FY 2020-21 from the concept of Committed Liability to a fixed sharing pattern of 60:40 between Centre and States (90:10 in case of NE states)

Online end to end processing, verification of eligibility credentials through online transaction to ensure greater transparency, control duplicity and wrongful claims by institutions;

Central share (maintenance allowance and non-refundable fees) is being released directly to the students’ bank account ONLY through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) preferably through an Aadhaar Based Payment System only after ensuring that the concerned State Government has released their share;

Schemes are based on fixed sharing pattern of 60:40 between Centre and State (90:10 in case of NE states, Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh and 100:0 in case of UT without legislature);

Coverage of poorest households would be focused.

Achievements:

Under Pre-matric Scholarships scheme for SC & Others during FY2023-24, Central share amounting to Rs. 141.01 Cr has been released to 6.25 lakh beneficiaries in their Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts through DBT.

Under Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students during FY2023-24, Central share amounting to Rs. 1516.84 Cr has been released to 12.70 lakh beneficiaries in their Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts through DBT.