**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Labour & Employment is reforming the "Financial Assistance for Education to the Wards of Beedi/Cine/Iron, Manganese and Chrome ore (IOMC) /Limestone and Dolomite ore (LSD) /Mica mines workers – Pre & Post-Matric” scheme to enhance equity and ensure policy clarity for unorganized workers' children, aligning with the Code on Social Security, 2020. The revised approach will allow eligible students to receive both welfare-based and merit-based scholarships. This reform, posted on February 23, 2026, aims to reduce financial hardship, promote educational continuity, and improve access to higher education.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scheme Reform:**
* The Ministry is amending the guidelines of the Labour Welfare Scheme (Education Component).
* The aim is to enhance equity, remove unintended exclusions, and ensure policy clarity.
* **Scholarship Eligibility:**
* Students eligible for the Ministry's welfare-based scholarship can now also receive a merit-based scholarship from any Central or State Government agency.
* The reform departs from earlier provisions that denied educational opportunities due to overlapping eligibility conditions.
* **Target Beneficiaries:**
* The reform directly benefits the wards of Beedi, Cine and Non-Coal (IOMC/LSD/Mica) Mine workers.
* It is expected to benefit additional students, over and above the approximately one lakh beneficiaries each year.
* **Objectives and Alignment:**
* The initiative is aligned with the objectives of the Code on Social Security, 2020, and strengthens social protection for unorganized workers and their families.
* It aims to improve access to higher education, reduce dropout rates, enable students to realize academic aspirations, and improve their long-term well-being and future livelihood prospects.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Wards of Beedi, Cine, and Non-Coal Mine Workers**
* **Impact:** They will have increased access to education due to the ability to receive both welfare-based and merit-based scholarships. This helps reduce financial hardship and promotes educational continuity.
* **Action Required:** Students who were previously ineligible due to overlapping conditions should apply for both welfare-based and merit-based scholarships.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Labour & Employment**
* **Impact:** The Ministry is reinforcing its commitment to labor welfare, social justice, and educational empowerment, and advancing the implementation of labor codes.
* **Action Required:** The Ministry needs to implement and monitor the revised scheme guidelines to ensure effective and equitable distribution of scholarships.
Key Entities Referenced
Code on Social Security, 2020: A law envisaging comprehensive social security and welfare measures, including education, for unorganized workers and their families.
Financial Assistance for Education to the Wards of Beedi/Cine/Iron, Manganese and Chrome ore (IOMC) /Limestone and Dolomite ore (LSD) /Mica mines workers – Pre & Post-Matric: A Labour Welfare Scheme designed to reduce financial hardship and promote educational continuity among vulnerable worker households.
Ministry of Labour & Employment
Education Support for Wards of Unorganised
Workers Strengthened in Alignment with Code on
Social Security, 2020
Reform Ensures Convergence of Welfare and Merit-Based
Scholarships for Inclusive Social Security
Posted On: 23 FEB 2026 4:41PM by PIB Delhi
In furtherance of the objectives of the Code on Social Security, 2020, and in line with the Government’s
commitment to strengthening social protection for unorganised workers and their families, the Ministry of
Labour & Employment has undertaken a significant reform to enhance educational support for the
children of eligible unorganised workers.
The Ministry administers the welfare-oriented Labour Welfare Scheme (Education Component) i.e.,
“Financial Assistance for Education to the Wards of Beedi/Cine/Iron, Manganese and Chrome ore
(IOMC) /Limestone and Dolomite ore (LSD) /Mica mines workers – Pre & Post-Matric”, which is
designed to reduce financial hardship and promote educational continuity among vulnerable worker
households. The scheme is need-based in nature and does not prescribe any merit criteria.
In order to enhance equity, remove unintended exclusions and ensure policy clarity, the Ministry will
suitably amend the relevant provision of the scheme guidelines. The revised approach will allow a student
who is availing the Ministry’s welfare-based scholarship to also receive a merit-based scholarship from
any Central or State Government agency, wherever eligible.
This reform marks a departure from the earlier provision and ensures that deserving students from
unorganised worker families are not denied educational opportunities due to overlapping eligibility
conditions. The measure is expected to directly benefit the wards of Beedi, Cine and Non-Coal
(IOMC/LSD/Mica) Mine workers by improving access to higher education and reducing dropout rates.
This progressive reform is expected to benefit additional students, over and above the approximately one
lakh beneficiaries each year. With this amendment, the wards of Beedi, Cine and Non-Coal Mine workers
will now be able to pursue higher education with enhanced financial support, including access to better
merit-based scholarships, thereby enabling them to realise their academic aspirations and improve their
long-term well-being and future livelihood prospects.
The initiative is fully aligned with the objectives of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which envisages
comprehensive social security and welfare measures, including education for unorganised workers and
their families. By strengthening welfare-based educational assistance and enabling convergence with
merit-based support, the Ministry is advancing the implementation of labour codes in both letter and spirit.
This reform reiterates the Government’s steadfast commitment to labour welfare, social justice and
educational empowerment, particularly for workers in the unorganised sector.*****
Rini Choudhury/Anjelina Alexander
(Release ID: 2231771) Visitor Counter : 234
Read this release in: Urdu , ही