25 lakh scholarships for minority students in 11th Plan
The govt will next month launch a scheme to give 25 lakh scholarships to school students belonging to the minority communities.
By PTI |
NEW DELHI: The Government will next month launch a scheme to give 25 lakh scholarships to school students belonging to the minority communities.
A Centrally-sponsored scheme of pre-matric scholarships has been approved for eligible students of class I to X belonging to the minority communities, Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay said in a reply in the Lok Sabha today.
He said it was proposed that 25 lakh scholarships would be given during the 11th Five Year Plan and 30 per cent of these would be earmarked for girl students.
A tentative provision of Rs 1,400 crore has been made for the scheme in the 11th plan period and the programme will be implemented with effect from April one this year, the Minister said.
The scheme would be implemented through state governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations, with the funding to be shared between the Centre and the states in the ratio of 75:25, while 100 per cent financial assistance will be provided to the UTs.
Students with not less than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination, whose parents' annual income does not exceed Rs one lakh, are eligible for the scholarship, Antulay said.
Rejecting the criticism from BJP Members in the House that the scheme would divide the country into majority and minority sections, Antulay said, "It is their duty rather, they think, to divide the country... The UPA Government has tried to assimilate all sections. No section, on the basis of caste, creed or religion, should be deprived."
A Centrally-sponsored scheme of pre-matric scholarships has been approved for eligible students of class I to X belonging to the minority communities, Minority Affairs Minister A R Antulay said in a reply in the Lok Sabha today.
He said it was proposed that 25 lakh scholarships would be given during the 11th Five Year Plan and 30 per cent of these would be earmarked for girl students.
A tentative provision of Rs 1,400 crore has been made for the scheme in the 11th plan period and the programme will be implemented with effect from April one this year, the Minister said.
The scheme would be implemented through state governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations, with the funding to be shared between the Centre and the states in the ratio of 75:25, while 100 per cent financial assistance will be provided to the UTs.
Students with not less than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination, whose parents' annual income does not exceed Rs one lakh, are eligible for the scholarship, Antulay said.
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Rejecting the criticism from BJP Members in the House that the scheme would divide the country into majority and minority sections, Antulay said, "It is their duty rather, they think, to divide the country... The UPA Government has tried to assimilate all sections. No section, on the basis of caste, creed or religion, should be deprived."
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