The Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Area (SHRESHTA) and Support for Marginalised Individual for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) are being implemented by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

(i) Under the Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) ( Earlier known as Grant-in-Aid to Voluntary and other Organizations working for Scheduled Castes), financial assistance is provided to NGOs for running projects related to education of students belonging to Scheduled Castes. The Scheme broadly covers 3 types of projects namely (i) Residential Schools (ii) Non Residential Schools and (iii) Hostels, both for Primary and Secondary Students. The scheme has been revised w.e.f 2022-23 as Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA) and a new component under Mode-I has been added to the Scheme, under which every year a specified number of meritorious SC students in the country are selected for quality residential education in top-class residential High Schools through a nation-wide entrance test conducted by National Testing Agency (NTA).

(ii) Support for Marginalised Individual for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE): The Support for Marginalized Individual for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) does not specifically cover persons belonging to Scheduled Castes.

This information was given by Minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment Sushri Pratima Bhoumik in the Lok Sabha in a written reply today.

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MG/RNM