NSP Scholarship 2023 Cancelled By Govt Check Why

Starting from the academic year 2022-23, the Indian federal government has discontinued pre-matric scholarships for students in classes 1 to 8 who belong to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Community (OBC), and minority communities.

The government has clarified that students belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), Other Backward Community (OBC), and minority communities, studying in classes 1 to 8, are now covered under the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009. According to this act, the government is obligated to provide free and compulsory elementary education to every child. As a result, the pre-matric scholarships for these students have been discontinued, except for those studying in classes 9 and 10.

What is this scholarship?

The pre-matric scholarship was a financial aid program in which the central and state governments shared the funding responsibility in a 75:25 ratio. To be eligible for the scholarship, a student’s parental income from all sources should not exceed ₹2.50 lakh per annum. Previously, this scholarship was provided to students belonging to SC and OBC communities (under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment), ST students (under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs), and minority communities (under the Ministry of Minority Affairs) from class 1 to 10.

The amount was ₹225 per month for day scholars and ₹525 per month for hostel residents for a period of 10 months in a year. Books and ad hoc grant for day scholars was ₹750 and ₹1,000 for hostel residents.

Applications of crores of students rejected this year

Despite a significant number of students applying for scholarships this year, the Ministry has rejected the applications of students in classes 1 to 8. The Union Government has issued notices to all States and Union Territories, instructing Institute Nodal Officers (INO), District Nodal Officers (DNO), and State Nodal Officers (SNO) to only verify applications for classes 9 and 10.