Parliament Question: Budgetary Allocation to Minority Scholarship Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4293 ANSWERED ON 18/03/2026 BUDGETARY ALLOCATION TO MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES 4293. SHRI SHYAMKUMAR DAULAT BARVE: Will the Minister of Minority Affairs be pleased to state: (a) whether in recent years there has been a significant reduction in the budgetary allocations and the number of beneficiaries under the Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means Minority Scholarship Schemes; (b) if so, the details of the budget allocated, actual expenditure made along with the number of students benefited under these schemes during the last seven years and the current year; (c) whether the Government has assessed that cuts in budgetary allocations have affected the education of economically weaker minority students; and (d) if so, the concrete and time-bound steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure continuity of education for such students? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRI KIREN RIJIJU) (a) to (d): Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various Scholarship schemes, including Pre- Matric, Post-Matric and Merit-cum-Means Scholarship schemes, across the country for socio- economic and educational empowerment of the six notified minority communities. However, the schemes have not been approved for implementation beyond 2021-22.The details of the budget allocated, actual expenditure made along with the number of students benefited under these schemes during the last seven years and the current year are as annexed. *****Annexure (Annexure as mentioned in reply to part (a) to (d) of the Lok Sabha unstarred question No.4293 answered on 18.03.2026 on the subject of “Budget Allocation to Minority Scholarship Schemes” asked by Shri Shyamkumar Daulat Barve) Merit-Cum-Means based Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme Post Matric Scholarship Scheme Scheme Scholarship Scheme (Amount In Rs. Crore) (Amount In Rs. Crore) (Amount In Rs. Crore) Actual Actual Actual Budget No. of Budget No. of Budget No. of Year Expendit Expendit Expendit Allocated beneficiaries Allocated beneficiaries Allocated beneficiaries ure ure ure 2018-19 1269.00 1176.19 5,691,854 500.00 354.89 684,265 402.00 261.17 117,771 2019-20 1199.82 1324.85 5,568,025 482.66 428.77 743,141 361.51 285.63 118,359 2020-21 1330.00 1325.54 5,239,964 535.00 512.81 663,316 400.00 396.34 120,371 2021-22 1378.00 1350.99 5,710,789 468.00 411.87 720,093 325.00 345.77 131,810 2022-23 556.82 43.95 318,576 515.00 29.00 124,607 358.02 34.90 58,430 2023-24 400.00 95.84 0 1000.00 85.02 0 25.00 152.74 0 2024-25 90.00 1.55 0 343.91 5.31 0 19.41 3.50 0 2025-26 0.06 0.00 0 0.06 0.00 0 0.06 0.00 0 * Expenditure beyond 2021-22 has been incurred towards releasing funds for committed liabilities only.