The details of the funds allocated and the total number of beneficiaries under Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme for SCs during the last three years are as follows:

FY	Pre-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SCs & Others		Post-Matric Scholarships Scheme for SC Students
	Funds allocated (Rs. in crore)	Beneficiaries (in Lakhs)	Funds allocated (Rs. in crore)	Beneficiaries (in Lakhs)
2020-21	599.71	29.15	4008.60	62.87
2021-22	570.18	38.11	1930.38	30.25
2022-23	207.93	11.34	4392.50	46.41

 

W.e.f FY 2022-23, Central Share of scholarships under Pre and Post-Matric Scholarship Schemes is released directly into the beneficiary’s account using Aaadhar Based Payment System (APBS). This digital online processing system has helped in the following ways:-

(i). Central Share is released directly into the bank account of beneficiaries without the intermediary intervention.

(ii). Time of disbursal of scholarship has reduced significantly.

(iii.) Transparency and failure in financial transactions is less than 1% which has resulted in low grievance in students.

 

Online end-to-end processing and verification has contributed to ensure greater transparency and preventing duplicity or wrongful claims by institutions as per the following:

(a) Beneficiaires can track their application with the help of State/NSP application Id.

(b) It helps the States in maintaining a complete database of the beneficiaries, which ensure de-duplication of the beneficiaries.

(c) Scheme is running on an online platform (NSP Portal) with robust cyber security measures that assures transparency, accountability, efficiency, and timely delivery of the assistance without any delays.

(d) The scholarship portal is required to be integrated with the AISHE/UDISE portal for pulling the data about the institution in which the student has taken admission.

(e) The States are required to undertake fool-proof verification of the eligibility, caste status, Aadhaar identification and bank account details on the online portal.

(f) Under the scheme there is no requirement of calling for the bank account details of the students and authenticating it. Central Share is released through ABPS after checking the Aadhaar number with the NPCI mapper.

As per the revised scheme guidelines, The verification of income, caste merit details should be automatically done from the databases which are linked online for instant verification. The process should be entirely paperless. Until the above system is brought into effect, the documents may be scanned and uploaded which include: passport size photograph, copy of each of the certificates for diploma, degree etc. in respect of all examinations passed, Caste Certificate duly signed by the authorized officer, valid income certificate issued by the competent authority as prescribed by the state Govt. etc.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri A. Narayanaswamy in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

*****

MG/MS/VL

(Release ID: 1985431) Visitor Counter : 1896