Yogi govt increases scholarship of SC/ST students from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3500 annually

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government led by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has increased the scholarship amount of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) students from Rs. 3,000 to Rs 3,500. The SC/ST students studying in classes 9 and 10 would get the revised scholarship from current financial year itself.

The government has also announced scholarship for children of sanitation workers studying in classes 9 and 10 for the first time. The scheme is available to families from all income groups.

Govt to facilitate payment of scholarships

The state government has set up a system where students’ personal details will be automatically obtained through Aadhar. Students will no longer have to fill personal details in the application form. Details such as the student’s name, father’s name, date of birth, and more will be automatically obtained from Aadhar.

Additionally, the scores obtained by students from CBSE and ICSE boards will also be available online, reducing the chances of errors during the application process. This change will allow more students to benefit from the scheme. Moreover, by linking the portal with DigiLocker and NPCI, errors that normally occur during filing of the application have also been done away with.

Applications will be accepted until March 31

Now, students from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories can apply until March 31 for classes 11, 12, and other higher-level courses. This means that even if the exam results, or the academic year, are delayed, students can still apply for scholarships. After receiving a scholarship in non-professional courses like B.Sc or B.A, students can also avail of scholarships in professional courses like B.Tech.

Biometric attendance will be implemented

Biometric attendance is being systematically introduced in schools. Institutions that do not implement biometric attendance will not be eligible for scholarships starting from the financial year 2025-26. Students between the ages of 12 and 20 in classes 9 and 10 will benefit from scholarships, and students pursuing higher education in classes 11, 12, and other higher education will be able to get the benefit of scholarship up to the age of 40.

Underprivileged students to also benefit from scholarship scheme

Underprivileged regular students, studying in class 9 and 10, whose parents or guardians are sanitation workers, engaged in manual scavenging, waste collection, rag picking etc in hazardous conditions, will also be eligible for scholarships.

However, these students will need to provide evidence (certificate) of their parents’ or guardians’ involvement in sanitation works. This evidence should be issued by a local body, municipal corporation, municipality or an authority authorised by the state government.