Parliament Question: Irregularities in Disbursement of Scholarships under NMMSS

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †180 ANSWERED ON 20.07.2026 Irregularities in Disbursement of Scholarships under NMMSS †180. Shri Harish Chandra Meena: Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) the number of beneficiaries affected in Rajasthan, particularly in Tonk and Sawai Madhopur districts due to delay in National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) distribution; (b) whether the Government has recovered the undisbursed amount from the State Bank of India and ensured payment to the students' accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (PFMS-DBT), if so, the details thereof; and (c) the details of the measures being adopted by the Government to prevent recurrence of such errors in future and to ensure timely provision of scholarships to meritorious students from economically weaker sections of Rajasthan? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHOUDHARY) (a): In Rajasthan, during the Academic Year 2025-26, out of total number of 14334 finally verified scholarships on NSP, payments were credited into the bank accounts of 13018 beneficiaries without delay, including the Tonk and Sawai Madhopur districts. Re-validation of failed transaction accounts in coordination with the State education authorities to ensure flow of payment through DBT is a continuous process. Details of the number of beneficiaries of the State of Rajasthan including Sawai Madhopur and Tonk Districts for the year 2025-26 may be seen at Annexure. (b) & (c): Under NMMSS, State Bank of India has refunded total amount of ₹218,42,64,760/- to the Government of India for the period 2022-23 to 2025-26. The bank account of NMMSS maintained with the State Bank of India, New Delhi was formally closed during 2025-26 after recovery of all the undisbursed amount lying with the bank. The scheme has successfully switched from the erstwhile "Agency Mode" (SBI) to the Pay and Accounts Office Direct Benefit Transfer (PAO-DBT) mode through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS). The scholarship payments for the Financial Year 2025–26 was successfully disbursed directly into the verified Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts of beneficiaries via PAO-DBT module through the PFMS.Measures such as the adoption of the mandatory Aadhaar Based Payment System (ABPS), the implementation of strict validation protocols on the National Scholarship Portal (NSP) to verify beneficiary bank accounts through the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) mapper before generating the final payment file and the capacity building of Nodal Officers by the Department, following the transition to the PAO-DBT mode, expedite the release of scholarship amounts to verified meritorious beneficiaries from economically weaker sections. ****Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. †180 asked by Shri Harish Chandra Meena, Hon’ble Member of Parliament answered on 20.07.2026 regarding “Irregularities in Disbursement of Scholarships under NMMSS" Updated Status of Rajasthan State for the year 2025-26 S. No. AY Fin ally Verified Disbursed payments Applications on NSP through PAO-DBT (Fresh + Renewal) 1 2025-26 14334 13018 S. No Name of District Finally Verified Disbursed payments Applications on NSP through PAO-DBT (Fresh + Renewal) 1 Sawai Madhopur 312 291 2 Tonk 273 247 *********