Only students of classes 9 and 10 to be covered under pre-matric scholarship scheme: Govt

SC and ST students are covered from classes 9 and 10 only on a full-time basis under the pre-matric scholarship scheme.The government, in a notice, justified its decision by underlining that the Right to Education RTE Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education classes I to VIII to each and every child.Accordingly only students studying in classes IX and X are covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Stating that the Right to Education Act covers compulsory education up to class 8 for all students, the government has now limited its pre-matric scholarship scheme meant for OBC and minority communities to students of classes 9 and 10.

Earlier, the pre-matric scholarship used to cover education for grades 1 to 8 as well for students belonging to minority communities. SC and ST students are covered from classes 9 and 10 only on a full-time basis under the pre-matric scholarship scheme.

The government, in a notice, justified its decision by underlining that the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education (classes I to VIII) to each and every child.

''Accordingly only students studying in classes IX and X are covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Likewise from 2022-23, the coverage under the pre-matric scholarship scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs shall also be for classes IX and X only,'' the notice said.

The Institute Nodal Officer (INO)/District Nodal Officer (DNO)/State Nodal Officer (SNO) have been asked to verify the applications only for classes 9 and 10 under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

The decision has drawn sharp reactions from political parties.

Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said, for decades, children from SC/ST backgrounds have been getting scholarships from classes 1 to 8 but the government from 2022-23 has stopped the scholarship which is a ''conspiracy'' against the poor.

''The BJP has been continuously doing such things for the past eight years whether it was cutting the budget of SC/ST/OBC and minorities or it was about atrocities against them or ending their welfare schemes and now this. We do not accept this. We will run a movement against it. Immediately take back this decision,'' he said.

BSP leader Kunwar Danish Ali claimed that the government has found a new way to keep these poor children away from education by stopping the scholarship given to minority students between classes 1 and 8.

''Yes, don't forget that educated children take the country forward irrespective of the community they belong to,'' Ali tweeted.