Minority Students Left Behind: Scholarships and Support in Limbo

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has sharply criticized the Ministry of Minority Affairs for its inability to secure approvals for essential scholarship schemes targeted at minority students.

In a report concerning the 2024-25 budget demands, the committee pointed out that scholarships such as Pre-Matric, Post-Matric, and Merit-cum-Means have been stalled since 2022-23, awaiting alignment with other ministries' programs. This delay has left economically disadvantaged students without vital financial support.

The committee also expressed dissatisfaction with the Ministry's vague accounting of the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme, which no funds were allocated for in 2023-24. The report underscored the need for the Ministry to fully utilize its budget before the current fiscal cycle concludes in 2025-26.