The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today revised the norms for
financial assistance for Post-Matric scholarships for
students belong to Scheduled Castes for studies in India. The parental annual income ceiling for
eligibility has been enhanced from Rs. 1 lakh to Rs.
2 lakh per annum in the Scheme of Post-Matric Scholarships to students belonging to Scheduled
Castes for studies in India. The CCEA
also approved the revision in the maintenance and other allowances besides
regrouping of courses.
The CCEA also approved an
estimated increased expenditure of Rs.7136 crore
against the existing plan outlay of Rs.4082 crore for
it during the XI Plan. Additional
committed liability on account of the revision will be passed on to State
Governments/UT Administrations at the end of the XII Five Year Plan period, and
not after the XI plan
period.
Revision of Maintenance & Other
Allowances
(In Rupees per month)
|
|
Existing
|
Approved
|
|
|
Day Scholars
|
Hosteller
|
Day Scholars
|
Hosteller
|
|
Group 1
|
330
|
740
|
550
|
1200
|
|
Group II
|
330
|
510
|
530
|
820
|
|
Group III
|
185
|
355
|
300
|
570
|
|
Group IV
|
140
|
235
|
230
|
380
|
Other Allowances
|
|
Existing rates(Rs.)
|
approved rate(Rs.)
|
|
1. Study
Tour Charges
|
1000
|
1600
|
|
2. Thesis
Typing/Printing Charges
|
1000
|
1600
|
|
3. Book
Grant for Correspondence Courses
|
750
|
1200
|
|
4. Allowance for Students with Disability
(i)Reader Allowance for Blind Scholars (PM)
|
150 (Group l&ll)
125 (Group III)
100(Group IV)
|
240(Group l&ll)
200(Group III)
160 (Group IV)
|
|
(ii)
Transport Allowance for Disabled Students (as defined under the Persons with Disabilities Act
1995), if such students do not reside in the
hostel which is
within the premises of
the Educational Institution.
(PM)
|
100
|
160
|
|
(iii) Escort Allowance for
Severely Handicapped Day Scholars/Students with low extremity disability (PM)
|
100
|
160
|
|
(iv) Helper
Allowance admissible to any employee of the hostel willing to extend help
to a severely orthopaedically handicapped student
residing in the hostel of an Educational Institution who may need the
assistance of a helper. (PM)
|
100
|
160
|
|
(v) Coaching Allowance to Mentally Retarded
and Mentally ill Students
(PM)
|
150
|
240
|
The increase in income ceiling is likely to increase
the number of beneficiaries and will lead to an increase in gross enrolment ration
and reduction in dropout rate of SC students at post matric
stage. The revision of maintenance and
other allowances aims to provide enhanced financial assistance to SC student to
meet the costs of lodging, boarding and out of pocket expenses. This will act as a major incentive for SC
students to pursue higher and technical education and thus significantly
increase their employability.
***
AD/VVA/ SKS