In a significant move aimed at promoting education among marginalised communities, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced an increase in scholarship amounts for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) students.
The scholarship amount has been raised from Rs 3,000 to Rs 3,500. This decision is set to benefit a large number of SC/ST students in the state.
Effective from the current financial year, students in classes 9 and 10 from SC/ST backgrounds will be eligible to receive the revised scholarship. Additionally, in a groundbreaking initiative, the government has introduced a scholarship scheme for children of sanitation workers who are studying in classes 9 and 10. Unlike previous schemes, this new programme will be available to families from all income groups.
One of the notable advancements in this scholarship programme is the integration of Aadhar, the biometric identification system. Students will no longer need to manually fill in personal details when applying for scholarships.
Furthermore, to streamline the application process and minimise errors, the government has made CBSE and ICSE board exam scores available online for verification. The integration of DigiLocker and NPCI ensures a smoother application process, eliminating the common errors that often-plagued previous scholarship applications.
A key feature of this initiative is the extended application deadline. SC/ST students can now apply for scholarships until March 31 for classes 11, 12, and other higher-level courses. This extension allows students to apply for scholarships even if their exam results or academic calendars are delayed.
Notably, students who receive scholarships for non-professional courses like BSc or BA can continue to receive support for professional courses like BTech.
To ensure attendance compliance and encourage regular school attendance, the government is introducing biometric attendance systems in schools. Institutions failing to implement this system will become ineligible for scholarships starting from the financial year 2025-26. The scholarship benefits will be available to students between the ages of 12 and 20 in classes 9 and 10, while those pursuing higher education in classes 11, 12, and other advanced courses can avail themselves of the scholarships until the age of 40.
Moreover, underprivileged students studying in class 9 and 10, whose parents or guardians are sanitation workers engaged in hazardous conditions such as manual scavenging, waste collection, and rag picking, will also be eligible for scholarships. To qualify, these students must provide evidence of their parents’ or guardians’ involvement in sanitation work, as issued by a local body, municipal corporation, municipality, or an authority authorised by the state government.
“The Uttar Pradesh government’s commitment to improving access to education and reducing financial barriers for disadvantaged students and sanitation workers’ children is a significant step towards promoting inclusivity and social equity in the state’s education system. These progressive changes are expected to have a far-reaching impact on the future of students from marginalised backgrounds in Uttar Pradesh,” a government spokesman said.