**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Tribal Affairs' response to a starred question in Lok Sabha, specifically question number *66, scheduled for December 4, 2025. The response details various scholarship schemes aimed at enhancing tribal communities' access to quality education and includes financial and beneficiary data for fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scholarship Schemes Implemented:**
* Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class IX and X)
* Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class XI and above)
* National Fellowship for Higher Education for ST students
* National Scholarship for Higher Education for ST students (Top Class)
* National Overseas Scholarship for ST students
* **Centrally Sponsored Schemes (Pre-Matric & Post-Matric):**
* Implemented through respective State/UT.
* Open-ended, available to eligible students pursuing studies from Class 9th to Post-Graduation courses.
* Parental income should not exceed Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum.
* Inviting applications, verification, selection, and disbursement handled by the respective State/UT.
* Ministry of Tribal Affairs releases central share funds to States/UTs based on submitted proposals and financial/physical progress.
* State Governments/UTs disburse scholarship amounts via DBT mode.
* **Central Sector Schemes (Higher Education):**
* Implemented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
* No state-wise allocation of slots and funds.
* National Fellowship and Scholarship funds directly released to students/institutions via DBT.
* National Overseas Scholarship implemented through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), with funds released to students studying abroad through embassies, reimbursed by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to MEA.
* **Funding Allocation (Centrally Sponsored Schemes):**
* Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students:
* FY 2023-24: Rs. 308.60 Crore
* FY 2024-25: Rs. 163.69 Crore
* Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students:
* FY 2023-24: Rs. 2668.69 Crore
* FY 2024-25: Rs. 2598.34 Crore
* **Beneficiary Statistics (Tripura, District-wise):**
* Tables provide detailed district-wise data on the number of beneficiaries for:
* ST Post-Matric Scholarship
* ST Pre-Matric Scholarship (IX-X)
* National Scholarship (Top Class) Scheme for ST Students
* National Fellowship (NFST) Scheme for ST students
* National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme for ST students
**Impact Analysis**
**State Governments/Union Territories**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including inviting applications, verification, selection, and disbursement of scholarship amounts.
* **Action Required:** Submit proposals to the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for funding, ensuring accurate financial and physical progress reports. Disburse scholarship amounts to eligible students via DBT mode.
**ST Students**
* **Impact:** Directly benefit from scholarship schemes, enabling access to quality education.
* **Action Required:** Apply for eligible scholarship schemes, meeting parental income criteria (if applicable), and provide necessary documentation for verification.
**Ministry of Tribal Affairs**
* **Impact:** Responsible for implementing Central Sector Schemes and overseeing Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
* **Action Required:** Release funds to States/UTs based on proposals and progress, and disburse funds directly to students/institutions under Central Sector Schemes.
**Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)**
* **Impact:** Involved in the implementation of the National Overseas Scholarship for ST students.
* **Action Required:** Release funds to ST students studying abroad through embassies.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tribal Affairs: The primary ministry responsible for implementing the scholarship schemes for tribal students.
Scholarship Schemes for Tribals: Umbrella term for various scholarship schemes for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students, including pre-matric, post-matric, national fellowship, higher education, and overseas scholarships.
Tripura: The Indian state where the number of beneficiaries under the scholarship schemes is being reported.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India, where the question about the scholarship schemes was raised.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO- *66
TO BE ANSWERED ON- 04/12/2025
"SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES FOR TRIBALS"
*66. SHRI BIPLAB KUMAR DEB:
Will the Minister of TRIBAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:-
(a) the details of scholarship schemes being implemented by the Government to ensure
that tribal communities have greater access to quality education;
(b) the total amount of funds released by the Government under the pre-matric and
post- matric scholarship schemes during the financial years 2023–24 and 2024–25; and
(c) the number of such scholarship schemes under implementation in Tripura along with
the number of students benefited therefrom, district-wise?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF TRIBAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI JUAL ORAM)
(a) to (c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
****STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) OF THE LOK
SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *66 FOR 04.12.2025 ASKED BY SHRI BIPLAB
KUMAR DEB, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT REGARDING
SCHOLARSHIP SCHEMES FOR TRIBALS
(a): Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the following Scholarship Schemes to ensure
that tribal communities have greater access to quality education: -
i) Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class IX and X)
ii) Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (Class XI and above)
iii) National Fellowship for Higher Education for ST students.
iv) National Scholarship for Higher Education for ST students (Top Class)
v) National Overseas Scholarship for ST students.
Out of the schemes mentioned above, the scholarship schemes at Sl.No (i) to (ii) are
Centrally Sponsored Schemes and implemented through respective State/UT. Both Pre &
Post Matric Scholarship Schemes are open ended Schemes wherein scholarships are given
to all eligible students for pursuing studies from class 9th to Post-Graduation courses whose
parental income is not more than Rs. 2.5 lakh per annum. The inviting of applications,
verification, selection of beneficiaries and disbursement of scholarship amount is the
responsibility of the respective State/UT. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, releases central
share funds to States/UTs based on proposals submitted by them and after examining
financial and physical progress. State Governments/Union Territory Administrations
disburse the scholarship amount to all the eligible ST Student's bank account through DBT
mode.
The Schemes at Sl. No. (iii) to (v) are Central Sector Schemes implemented by the Ministry
of Tribal Affairs. There are no state-wise allocation of slots and funds under these Central
Sector Schemes. Under National Fellowship and Scholarship for Higher Education for ST
students, funds are directly released to the Students/Institutions through DBT mode,
whereas Schemes at Sl.No. (v) National Overseas Scholarship for ST students is
implemented through the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the funds are released to ST
students studying abroad through Embassies, further Ministry of Tribal Affairs reimburse
the funds to MEA.
(b): the total amount of fund released by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs under the Centrally
Sponsored Schemes of pre-matric and post-matric scholarship for ST students during the
financial year 2023-24 and 2024-25 is given below:-Scheme Name Total fund released during FY Total fund released during
2023-24 FY 2024-25
Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST Rs.308.60 Crore Rs.163.69 Crore
students
Post-Matric Scholarship for ST Rs.2668.69 Crore Rs.2598.34 Crore
students
(c): As informed by State Govt. of Tripura, the number of beneficiaries in Tripura, district-
wise, under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes of Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarship
for ST students during the year 2023-24 and 2024-25 is given in the table below:-
ST Post-Matric Scholarship for ST students
2023-24 2024-25 (till date)
Sl. District Name No. of beneficiaries Nos. benefitted
No.
1 Dhalai 4901 4599
2 Gomati 6917 6516
3 Khowai 4925 4618
4 North 1583 1411
5 Sepahijala 4043 3714
6 South 4724 5226
7 Unakoti 1297 1246
8 West 5288 4957
Total 33678 32287ST Pre-Matric (IX-X) Scholarship for ST students
2023-24 2024-25 (till date)
Sl. No. District Name Nos. benefitted Nos. benefitted
1 Dhalai 2449 2605
2 Gomati 2365 2071
3 Khowai 1469 1483
4 North 700 727
5 Sepahijala 979 958
6 South 1742 2255
7 Unakoti 660 612
8 West 1237 1325
Total 11601 12036
Further, the number of beneficiaries from Tripura, district-wise, under the Central Sector
Schemes implemented by Ministry of Tribal Affairs during the year 2023-24 and 2024-25
is given in the table below: -
District wise number of beneficiaries of Tripura Under National Scholarship (Top
Class) Scheme for ST Students
Sl. No. District Name 2023-24 2024-25
1 DHALAI 11 29
2 GOMATI 5 26
3 KHOWAI 13 23
4 NORTH TRIPURA 1 1
5 SEPAHIJALA 13 32
6 SOUTH TRIPURA 14 30
7 UNAKOTI 3 5
8 WEST TRIPURA 37 89
Total 97 235District wise number of beneficiaries of Tripura Under National Fellowship (NFST)
Scheme for ST students
Sl. No. District Name 2023-24 2024-25
1 DHALAI 7 8
2 GOMATI 5 8
3 KHOWAI 5 5
4 NORTH TRIPURA 3 3
5 SEPAHIJALA 3 4
6 SOUTH TRIPURA 4 5
7 UNAKOTI 2 2
8 WEST TRIPURA 17 16
TOTAL 46 51
District wise number of beneficiaries of Tripura Under National Overseas
Scholarship (NOS) Scheme for ST students
Sl. No. District Name 2023-24 2024-25
1 DHALAI 1 -
TOTAL 1 0
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