This document summarizes the Indian Ministry of Minority Affairs' responses to questions raised in Lok Sabha regarding various schemes and policies.
Regarding the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, the Ministry clarified that coverage remains for students in classes IX and X, aligning with the Right to Education Act, 2009. There is no plan to reintroduce coverage for classes I-VIII. The Padho Pardesh scheme, which provided interest subsidies on education loans for minority students pursuing Masters, M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees abroad, was discontinued in 2022-23 due to the availability of cheaper education loans through other government initiatives and will not be reinstated.
The selection list for the National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) is provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA). The Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme was discontinued in 2022-23 due to overlap with similar schemes from other ministries; House Rent Allowance (HRA) was disbursed as per Government of India norms.
The National Scholarship Portal (NSP) has existing parameters for suspending or revoking the suspension of participating institutions and the Ministry continuously works to strengthen the scholarship disbursement process. Currently, there is no plan to conduct a parliamentary review on the state of minority education in the country.
Key Entities Referenced
Padho Pardesh: A scheme by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to award interest subsidy on educational loans to minority students for studying abroad. Discontinued from 2022-23.
PreMatric Scholarship Scheme: A scholarship scheme by the Ministry of Minority Affairs for students in classes IX and X. Coverage for classes I to VIII is not being reintroduced.
Ministry of Minority Affairs: The Indian government ministry responsible for the Padho Pardesh and PreMatric schemes, among others.
National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC): A fellowship for students from Other Backward Classes. The selection list is provided by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
National Testing Agency (NTA): The agency that provides the select list for the National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC).
Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009: An Indian legislation that makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education classes I to VIII.
Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF): A scheme implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs on the lines of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Scheme. Discontinued from 2022-23.
National Scholarship Portal (NSP): A portal providing parameters for verifying authorities to suspend or revoke suspension of participating institutes.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2918
ANSWERED ON 06/08/2025
PADHO PARDESH AND P RE-MATRIC SCHEMES
2918. SHRI V K SREEKANDAN:
Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is considering to reinstate Padho Pardesh and Pre-Matric minority
schemes and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it is a fact that there has been a demand for timely release of the National Fellowship for
Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) selection list and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government is considering to revise the fellowship amounts and HRA and fellowship
amounts under non-NET and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government is considering to scrutinise the NSP blacklisting process and reinstate
genuine institutions and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) whether the Government has any plan to conduct parliamentary review on the state of minority
education in the country, if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIREN RIJIJU)
(a) & (b): The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the Government to provide
free and compulsory elementary education (classes I to VIII) to each and every child. Accordingly,
only students studying in classes IX and X are covered under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme of
this Ministry. There is no proposal under consideration in this Ministry to re-introduce such coverage
for classes I to VIII under the Pre-Matric Scholarship scheme. Padho Pardesh scheme aims to award
interest subsidy on educational loan to minority students for studying abroad to pursue approved
courses of study at Masters, M.Phil. and Ph.D. levels. The scheme has been discontinued from 2022-
23 as education loan is available at cheaper rates through various other Government interventions. As
such, there is no proposal under consideration to reinstate the Padho Pardesh scheme. The select list
of National Fellowship for Other Backward Classes (NFOBC) is provided by the National Testing
Agency (NTA).
(c): The Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF)
Scheme on the lines of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) Scheme of University Grants
Commission (UGC) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The scheme has been
discontinued from 2022-23 due to its apparent overlapping with similar schemes of other ministries.
The House Rent Allowance (HRA) was disbursed to the scholars as per Government of India norms.
(d): The existing structure of National Scholarship Portal provides parameters on the basis of which
the verifying authorities can suspend a participating institute or revoke such suspension.
Strengthening the end-to-end process of scholarship disbursement through various means is a
continuous process.
(e): There is no such proposal under consideration at present in the Ministry.
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