MEMBERS' REFERENCE SERVICE LARRDIS LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT, NEW DELHI REFERENCE NOTE. No.46/RN/Ref./October/2017

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1 MEMBERS' REFERENCE SERVICE LARRDIS LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT, NEW DELHI REFERENCE NOTE No.46/RN/Ref./October/2017 For the use of Members of Parliament PUBLICATION 1 NOT FOR SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS Prepared by Shri Rajesh Khurana, Additional Director ( ) and Shri Sham Lal Dogra, Deputy Director of Lok Sabha Secretariat under the supervision of Smt. Kalpana Sharma, Joint Secretary and Dr. P. J. Antony, Director. Refer The Reference Note is for personal use of the Members in the discharge of their Parliamentary duties, and is not for publication. This Service is not to be quoted as the source of information as it is based on the sources indicated at the end/in the text.

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3 SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES FOR MINORITY STUDENTS BACKGROUND Though the Constitution of India does not define the word Minority and only refers to Minorities and speaks of those based on religion or language, the rights of the minorities have been spelt out in the Constitution in detail. The Constitution provides for two sets of rights of minorities which can be placed in common domain and separate domain. The rights which fall in the common domain are those which are applicable to all the citizens of our country. The rights which fall in the separate domain are those which are applicable to the minorities only and these are reserved to protect their identity. The distinction between common domain and separate domain and their combination have been well kept and protected in the Constitution. The Preamble to the Constitution declares the State to be Secular and this is of special relevance to the Religious Minorities. Equally relevant for them, especially, is the declaration of the Constitution in its Preamble that all citizens of India are to be secured liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship and equality of status and of opportunity. SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES A number of schemes have been implemented by the Central and State Governments for the welfare of minorities. Various schemes for the educational development of minorities including Scholarship Schemes are also being implemented for the betterment of students belonging to the Minority Communities.

4 2 The Scholarship schemes are discussed as under: PRE-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 1. Background: The Prime Minister s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities was announced in June, It provides for a pre-matric scholarship scheme for meritorious students from minority communities. 2. Objective: The scholarship at pre-matric level encourages parents from the minority communities to send their school going children to school, lighten their financial burden on school education and sustain their efforts to support their children to complete school education. The scheme forms the foundation for their educational attainment and provides a level playing field in the competitive employment arena. Empowerment through education, which is one of the objectives of this scheme, has the potential to lead to the upliftment of the socio economic conditions of the minority communities. 3. Scope: The scholarship is awarded for studies in India in a government or private school from class I to class X, including in such residential Government institutes and eligible private institutes selected and notified in a transparent manner by the State Government and Union Territory Administration concerned. 4. Eligibility: Scholarship is awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks in the previous final examination and whose parents'/guardians' annual income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 1 lakh. 5. Distribution: Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, The distribution of scholarship among the

5 3 States/Union Territories is made on the basis of the population of minorities within them. 6. Earmarking for girl students: 30% of scholarship is earmarked for female students. In case sufficient number of eligible girl students are not available, then the balance earmarked scholarships is awarded to the eligible male students. 7. Selection: There are a fixed number of scholarships for minorities. Students from poor background are given preferences for grant of these scholarships. Only after the renewal applications are fully exhausted are the new applications considered. 8. Duration: The scholarships is provided for the entire course. Maintenance allowance is given for 10 months only in an academic year. 9. Rate of scholarship: Actual financial assistance is provided for admission/tuition fee and maintenance allowance as given below subject to a maximum ceiling indicated against the item concerned: S. Item Hostellers* Day Scholars No. 1. Admission fee from class Rs. 500/- per Rs. 500/- per annum VI to X annum subject to subject to actual actual 2. Tuition fee from Class VI to X Rs. 350/- per month subject to actual Rs. 350/- per month subject to actual 3. Maintenance allowance is payable for a period not exceeding 10 months is an academic year. (i) Class I to V Nil Rs. 100/- per month (ii) Class VI to X Rs. 600/- per month subject to actual Rs. 100/- per month *Hostellers include students who are staying in the hostel of the school/institute concerned or those provided by the State Government/Union Territory Administration concerned.

6 4 POST-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 1. Background: The Prime Minister s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities announced in June, 2006, also provides for the implementation of postmatric scholarship scheme for meritorious students from the minority communities. 2. Objective: The objective of the scheme is to award scholarships to the meritorious students belonging to the economically weaker sections of the minority communities so as to provide them better opportunities for higher education, increase their rate of attainment in higher education and to enhance their employability. 3. Scope: The scholarship is to be awarded for studies in India in a government or private higher secondary school/college/university, including such residential institutes of the Government and eligible private institutes selected and notified in a transparent manner by the State Government/Union Territory Administration concerned. It also covers technical and vocational courses at the Industrial Training Institutes/ Industrial Training Centres affiliated with the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) of classes XI and XII level. 4. Eligibility: Scholarship is awarded to the students who have secured not less than 50% marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parents/guardian from all sources does not exceed Rs.2.00 lakh. 5. Distribution: The distribution of scholarship among the States/Union Territories is made on the basis of the population of the notified minorities in the States/ Union Territories according to the Census 2001.

7 5 6. Earmarking for girl students: Like in the case of the Pre-Matric Scheme, 30% of scholarship are earmarked for girl students. In case sufficient number of eligible girl students are not available, then the balance earmarked scholarships may be awarded to the eligible boy students. 7. Selection Procedure: Unlike scholarship for SC and ST, there are a fixed number of scholarships for minorities. Students from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, having the lowest income are given preference in the ascending order. Only after the renewal applications are fully exhausted are the new applications considered. 8. Duration: Scholarship is provided for the entire course. However, maintenance allowance is given for a period not exceeding 10 months only in an academic year. 9. Rate of Scholarship: Actual financial assistance is provided for admission & course /tuition fee and maintenance allowance as given below subject to a maximum ceiling indicated against the item concerned: S.No. Item Hostellers* Day Scholars 1. Admission and tuition fee for classes XI and XII 2. Admission and course/tuition fee for technical and vocational courses of XI and XII level. (Includes fees/charges for raw materials, etc.) 3. Admission and tuition fee for under-graduate, post graduate. 4. Maintenance allowance for 10 months only in an academic year (Includes expenses for study material, etc.) (i) Classes XI and XII including technical and vocational courses of this level. Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 7,000 p.a. Actual, but subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 10,000 p.a. Actual, but subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 3,000 p.a. Rs. 380 p.m. Actual subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 7,000 p.a. Actual, but subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 10,000 p.a. Actual, but subject to a maximum ceiling of Rs. 3,000 p.a. Rs. 230 p.m.

8 6 (ii) Courses other than technical Rs. 570 p.m. Rs. 300 p.m. and professional courses at under-graduate and post graduate level (iii) M.Phil and Ph.D. (For those researchers who are not awarded any fellowship by university or any other authority) Rs p.m. Rs. 550 p.m. * Hostellers include students who are not staying in hostel of the school/institute concerned but are staying as paying guest or in rented accommodation in towns/cities which are not the places where their parents reside. MERIT-CUM-MEANS BASED SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 1. Object: The objective of this Scheme is also to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious students belonging to the minority communities to enable them to pursue professional and technical courses. 2. Scope: These scholarships are available for studies in India only and are awarded through the State Government/UT Administration or an Agency designated by the State Government/UT Administration for this purpose. 3. Number of scholarship: During the 12th Five Year Plan, fresh Scholarships are being awarded each financial year, besides renewals among the students of minority communities in States/UTs throughout the country based on the State/UT-wise population of these communities. 4. Rate of scholarship: The rate of scholarship will be as under : S.No. Type of Financial Assistance Rate for hostler Rate for Day scholar 1. Maintenance Allowance (For 10 months only) Rs. 10,000 per annum (Rs p.m.) Rs. 5,000 per annum (Rs. 500 p.m.) 2. Course Fee* Rs. 20,000 per annum or Actual whichever is less Rs. 20,000 per annum or Actual whichever is less Total Rs. 30,000/- Rs /- * Full Course Fee will be reimbursed for the listed institutions

9 7 The details regarding States/UT-wise scholarships sanctioned under Pre-Matric, Post Matric and Merit-cum-Means Scholarships Schemes for student belonging to the Minority Communities during the last three years are given at Annexure. NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PORTAL Vision: National Scholarships Portal is one-stop solution through which various services starting from student application, application receipt, processing, sanction and disbursal of various scholarships to the students are enabled. This initiative aims at providing a Simplified, Mission-oriented, Accountable, Responsive & Transparent 'SMART' System for faster & effective disposal of Scholarships applications and delivery of funds directly into beneficiaries account without any leakages. Mission: The Mission Mode Project (MMP) of the National Scholarships Portal under the National e-governance Plan aims at providing common electronic portal for implementing various Scholarships schemes launched by the Union Government, State Governments and the Union Territories across the country. Objectives: The main objectives of the portal are as under:- Ensure timely disbursement of Scholarships to students Provide a common portal for various Scholarships schemes of the Central and State Governments Create a transparent database of scholars Avoid duplication in processing Harmonisation of different Scholarships schemes & norms Application of Direct Benefit Transfer

10 8 Besides the above, the following schemes 2 of educational empowerment are also being implemented for the students of minority communities:- 1. Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students:- The objective of the Fellowship is to provide integrated five year fellowships in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities, as notified by the Central Government to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and Ph.D. The Fellowship covers all Universities/Institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) under section 2(f) and section 3 of the UGC Act and is implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs through UGC for students belonging to the minority communities. 2. Padho Pradesh - Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies for the Students Belonging to the Minority Communities: The objective of this scheme is to award interest subsidy to meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of notified minority communities so as to provide them better opportunities for higher education abroad and also to enhance their employability. 3. Free Coaching and Allied Scheme: This scheme aims to empower the minority communities, which are relatively disadvantaged, by enhancing their skills and capabilities so as to make them employable in industries, services, etc. 4. Nai Udaan: The objective of this Scheme is to provide financial support to the minority candidates clearing preliminary examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and State Public Service Commissions. The purpose is to adequately equip these candidates to compete for appointment to Civil Services in the Union and the State Governments and thereby increase the representation of the minority communities in the Civil Services. 2 The Details of these schemes can be accessed at the official website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India (

11 9 Sources: Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No dated

12 10 Annexure State/UT-wise Scholarship sanctioned under Pre-matric, Post-matric and Meritcum Means based Scholarship Schemes for students belonging to the minority communities during the last three years. S.No. States/UT s Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme * Post-matric Scholarship Scheme * Merit-cum Means Scholarship Scheme * 1 Andhra Pradesh Telangana Arunachal Pradesh Assam Bihar Chhattisgarh Goa Gujarat Haryana Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir Jharkhand Karnataka Kerala Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra Manipur

13 11 18 Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Odisha Punjab Rajasthan Sikkim Tamil Nadu Tripura Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand West Bengal Andaman & Nicobar Chandigarh Dadra & Nagar Haveli Daman & Diu Delhi Lakshadweep Puducherry Total

Scheme of Merit cum means based scholarship to students belonging to minority communities.

Scheme of Merit cum means based scholarship to students belonging to minority communities. S. No. Objective : The objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to the poor and meritorious