In response to Unstarred Question No. 2056, SMT. SAJDA AHMED asked the Minister of Minority Affairs if the Government has assessed the educational development of minority communities, if the Merit-Cum-Means and Pre-Matric Scholarships have been discontinued, and the steps taken to support minority education. The Minister of Minority Affairs, SHRI KIREN RIJIJU, answered that the Ministry of Education's UDISE+ publishes reports on enrollment and dropout rates. The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various scholarship schemes for socio-economic and educational empowerment. However, these schemes have not been approved for implementation beyond 2021-22. The National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) offers financial assistance to minority students for technical and professional courses.
Key Entities Referenced
Pre-Matric Scholarship: A scholarship for minority students, which is the subject of discontinuation.
Ministry of Minority Affairs: The government ministry responsible for minority affairs, implementing scholarship schemes.
National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC): An organization that offers financial assistance to minority students through education loans.
Merit-Cum-Means Scholarship: A scholarship scheme for minority students.
UDISE+ (Unified District Information System for Education Plus): A platform used by the Ministry of Education to publish reports on student enrollment and dropout rates.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2056
ANSWERED ON 11/02/2026
IMPACT OF PRE-MATRIC SCHOLARSHIP DISCONTINUATION
2056. SMT. SAJDA AHMED:
Will the Minister of Minority Affairs be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government has assessed the educational development of minority communities
including enrolment and retention rates and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Merit-Cum-Means and Pre-Matric Scholarship for minority students have been
discontinued and if so, the reasons therefor along with the impact of this discontinuation on
enrolment, dropout and academic performance of minority students; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken to support minority education including alternative scholarships or
financial assistance?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Education’s UDISE+ ( Unified District Information System for Education
Plus) - a unified platform publishes reports from time to time, pertaining to enrolment and dropout
rate of students, covering various social categories.
Ministry of Minority Affairs implements various 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 National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) a Government of India
Undertaking (Ministry of Minority Affairs), offers financial assistance to minority students under its
education loan scheme for pursuing technical and professional courses.
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