Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Scholarship for SC Students

Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar has informed that The Department is implementing the following two Centrally Sponsored Scholarship Schemes for Scheduled Caste (SC) students in the country, including in the State of Maharashtra:

1. Post Matric scholarships to the students belonging to scheduled castes for studies in India (PMS-SC);
2. Pre- Matric scholarships scheme for SC students and others

Under both the schemes scholarships are provided to SC students having parental income less than Rs.2.5 lakh per annum. PMS-SC scheme provides compulsory non-refundable fees including tuition fee of the course and academic allowance to students studying at the post matric stage i.e. from class 11 onwards. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC students and others provides the academic allowance to eligible students studying in classes 9th and 10th.

Under the PMS-SC, no central assistance (CA) was released to the State for the years 2018-19 and 2019-20 as their demand for the year was within their committed liability. In the year 2020-21, consequent to the revision in the funding pattern of the scheme from the concept of Committed Liability of the State to a sharing ratio of 60:40 between Centre and the States, Rs.558 cr. was released to the State as CA. As per information provided by the State Government of Maharashtra, during the years 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, the expenditure made by the State was Rs. 1332.62 cr. , 1053.37cr. and Rs. 372.08 cr., respectively, (which included arrears paid for previous years as well) for 5,42,646, 3,78,426 and 1,56,453 beneficiaries respectively.

Under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC Students, the State was released Rs. 179.32 cr. during 2013-14 and 2014-15. As per the information provided by the State Government, out of this amount, the State has utilized Rs. 98.59 cr. for disbursing scholarships for the years 2013-14 to 2017-18 and Rs. 23.32 cr. were utilised during the year 2019-20 for 99,200 beneficiaries. Further, no expenditure was done under the Scheme in 2018-19 and 2020-21 and no state funds were spent under the Scheme during 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21 as informed by the State Government. Rs. 57.40 cr. of central assistance is still available with state Government as unspent balance.