Details On Fund Allocation For SC, OBC And Minority Scholarships In Budget 2024
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Minority Affairs and Ministry of Tribal Affairs see an overall increase in budgetary allocation under the interim Budget presented on February 1 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The government made a total allocation of Rs 13,000 crore to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, a massive 70 per cent increase from Rs 7,605 crore in the financial year 2023-24. The centre earmarked Rs 6,399 crore for Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), a 150 per cent increase from 2023-24.
Allocation for Pre- Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships for STs has gone up to Rs 440.36 crore and Rs 2374 crore respectively from Rs. 411.63 crore and Rs 1970.77 crore. However, allocation for ‘National Fellowship and Scholarship for higher Education of ST students’ has reduced to Rs 165 crore in 2024-25 from Rs 230 crore. Financial allocation to tribal research institutes has gone up to Rs 111 crore from Rs 50 crore.
Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda welcoming the budget announcement says, “This is an exciting budget for the countrymen, and will take the nation forward in unity.”
Total Budget allocation for the Ministry of Minority Affairs has increased by Rs 574.27 crore to Rs 3,183.24 crore in 2024-25 as against Rs 2608.93 (revised estimates) crore in 2023-24. However, the budget allocation for the ministry was Rs 3,097 crore in 2023-24. Of the total proposed allocation Rs 1,575.72 crore is set for education empowerment.
Allocation for Pre- Matric Scholarship for Minorities is slashed by over Rs 100 crore to Rs 326.16 crore and for Post- Matric Scholarship for Minorities is increased to Rs 1145.38 crore from Rs. 1065 crore. The budget for total education empowerment of minorities under scholarships was slightly decreased due to the cancellation of scholarship schemes including pre-metric as well as the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF).
Allocation under the Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities is slashed to Rs 2 crore from Rs 10 crore in the last budget which was revised later to Rs 5 crore.
Under the ministry of social justice and empowerment, post-matric scholarship for SCs has been earmarked Rs 6,349.98 crore, a slight decrease of Rs 9.16 crore. Allocation under Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs and Top Class Education for SCs also slashed to Rs 35 crore and Rs 110 crore from Rs 47 crore and Rs 111 crore respectively from the budget 2023-24.
