Centre withdraws pre-matric scholarship scheme for minority communities from class 1 to 8

The response came from Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani while replying to a question from AIMIM MP Imtiyaz Jaleel and INC MP Adoor Prakash asking whether the government has decided to discontinue pre-matric scholarship for minority students studying in classes one to eight and its reasons.

New Delhi: Ministry of Minority Affairs informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the pre-matric scholarship availed to students of 6 minority communities studying in classes 1 to 8 is being discontinued, while only those in classes 9 and 10 will now be eligible for this scholarship.

Stating that Right to Education (RTE) covers compulsory education up to class 8th for all students, the government in a written reply underscored that it has now limited its pre-matric scholarship scheme meant for weaker economic backgrounds belonging to the 6 notified minority communities, namely, Buddhist, Christian, Jain, Muslim, Parsi, and Sikh to students of class 9th and 10th.

The response came from Union Minority Affairs Minister Smriti Irani while replying to a question from AIMIM MP Imtiyaz Jaleel and INC MP Adoor Prakash asking whether the government has decided to discontinue pre-matric scholarship for minority students studying in classes one to eight and its reasons.

This modification has also been done to harmonize the Scheme with the identical Scholarship Schemes implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, the Union Minister said.

To a question on whether the government proposes to withdraw the decision to discontinue pre-matric scholarship up to the eighth standard, Irani pointed out "that there is no proposal to withdraw the decision of discontinuation of PreMatric Scholarship up to the eighth standard."

A few days back, Tamil Nadu's CM MK Stalin had urged PM Modi to hold the decision to withdraw minority scholarship for students of classes 1-8 as this would impact nearly 5 lahk poor students. The opposition members have expressed their dismay after the Centre stopped the Maulana Azad fellowship for scholars from minority communities.