**Executive Summary**
This document outlines various government schemes and initiatives aimed at addressing educational disparities faced by Scheduled Caste (SC) students in India. The schemes provide financial assistance, residential education, and other support to ensure equitable access to quality education. The Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) is implementing Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19, and in 2025-26, DoSEL launched special drives to saturate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in secondary and senior secondary schools.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Scholarship Schemes:**
* Post Matric Scholarships (PMS-SC) for SC students.
* Pre Matric Scholarship scheme for SCs and others.
* Scholarship for Higher Education for Young Achievers (SHREYAS) for SCs, including:
* Top Class Education for SC students (TCS).
* Free Coaching scheme for SCs, OBCs and beneficiaries of PM Cares Children (FCS).
* National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) scheme for SC candidates.
* National Fellowship for SC students (NFSC).
* Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students.
* National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS).
* **Residential Education and Hostels:**
* Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA).
* Hostel component under Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyudyay Yojana (PM-AJAY).
* **Loans and Financial Assistance:**
* Education Loan Scheme of National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC).
* **Reservation in Admissions:**
* Central Educational Institutions (CEI) (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 provides reservation for SCs, STs, and OBCs in CEIs.
* **Samagra Shiksha Initiative:**
* Implemented by DoSEL since 2018-19 to ensure equitable and inclusive education, supporting residential schools/hostels.
* Initiatives include Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya (NSCBAVs), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBVs).
* Aims to bridge gender and social category gaps.
* Provides free uniforms and textbooks to girls and children from SC/ST/BPL families.
* DoSEL launched special drives to saturate Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in secondary and senior secondary schools.
* **Monitoring and Grievance Redressal:**
* Regular meetings and workshops are conducted to review progress and resolve issues.
* Agencies are channelized to ensure Aadhaar seeding of bank accounts.
* Public Financial Management System (PFMS) has started a daily "Open house” to resolve technical issues.
* Applicants can raise grievances on the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CP-GRAMS) portal.
**Impact Analysis**
**SC Students:**
* **Impact:** Improved access to quality education through financial assistance, residential programs, and reservation in admissions.
* **Action Required:** Apply for relevant schemes and utilize available resources; raise grievances on the CP-GRAMS portal if needed.
**Schools and Educational Institutions:**
* **Impact:** Enhanced infrastructure and resources to provide inclusive education, including ICT facilities and support for disadvantaged students.
* **Action Required:** Implement Samagra Shiksha initiatives, utilize available funding, participate in monitoring and evaluation programs.
**States/Union Territories:**
* **Impact:** Responsible for monitoring the progress of the schemes, resolving issues, and ensuring effective implementation of the initiatives.
* **Action Required:** Participate in regular capacity building, attend meetings/workshops, and utilize PFMS for technical support.
**Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:**
* **Impact:** Overseeing and providing information about the schemes aimed at promoting educational empowerment of students from SC Community.
* **Action Required:** Continue to develop and provide schemes to promote educational empowerment of students from SC Community.
Key Entities Referenced
Post Matric Scholarships to the students belonging to Scheduled Caste (PMS-SC): A scholarship program aimed at supporting Scheduled Caste students in their post-matric education.
Central Educational Institutions (CEI) (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006: Legislation that mandates reservation in admissions for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central Educational Institutions (CEIs).
Samagra Shiksha: An initiative by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) to improve the quality and accessibility of education across the country, with a focus on equity and inclusion, particularly for Scheduled Caste regions.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment: The government ministry responsible for the overall policy and implementation of schemes for the welfare of Scheduled Castes and other marginalized communities.
Scholarship for Higher Education for Young Achievers (SHREYAS): A scholarship program for Scheduled Castes (SCs) to provide financial assistance and promote higher education.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
QUALITY EDUCATION OF SC STUDENTS
प्रव तथ: 03 DEC 2025 7:16PM by PIB Delhi
The Government is implementing following schemes to address the educational disparities faced by
Scheduled Caste students to ensure their equitable access to quality education:
1. Post Matric Scholarships to the students belonging to Scheduled Caste (PMS-SC)
2. Pre Matric Scholarship scheme for SCs and others
3. Scholarship for Higher Education for Young Achievers (SHREYAS) for Scheduled
Castes (SCs) , which includes
i. Top Class Education for SC students (TCS);
ii. Free Coaching scheme for SCs , OBCs and beneficiaries of PM Cares Children (FCS);
iii. National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) scheme for SC etc. Candidates; and
iv. National Fellowship for SC students (NFSC)
4. The scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA).
5. Hostel component under Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyudyay Yojana (PM- AJAY).
6. Education Loan Scheme of National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation
(NSFDC)
7. Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Protsahan (PM-USP) Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for
College and University Students implemented by D/o Higher Education.
8. National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) implemented by D/o School Education and
Literacy
Besides above, Central Educational Institutions (CEI) (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 provides
reservation for students belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other
Backward Classes (OBCs) in Central Educational Institutions (CEIs) established, maintained or aided by
the Central Government.
Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) is implementing Samagra Shiksha since 2018-19,
with aim to ensure that all children have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive
classroom environment across the country including Scheduled Caste regions. This initiative also supports
interventions of residential schools/hostels like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Awasiya Vidyalaya
(NSCBAVs), Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBVs), Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha
Abhiyan (PMJANMAN), Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan (DAJGUA). Bridging gender and
social category gaps at all levels of school education is one of the major objectives of Samagra Shiksha.
The scheme reaches out to girls, and children belonging to Sociology- Economically Disadvantaged
Groups (SEDGs). Free uniform are provided to all girls and children belonging to SC/ST/BPL families upto Class 8 and free text books are provided at elementary level to all children including SC. Further,
during the year 2025-26, DoSEL has launched special drives to saturate Information and Communication
Technology (ICT), smart classes and laboratories in all secondary and senior secondary schools under
Samagra Shiksha. The above schemes are being monitored and evaluated.
For monitoring, regular capacity building and Hand-holding/cluster/regional meetings and/or workshops
for all States/UTs and stakeholders are conducted to review the progress of the States as well as to resolve
any pending issues. Further, various agencies/partners are channelized, services from National Payment
Corporation of India (NPCI), National Scholarship Portal (NSP) are being taken to ensure Aadhaar
seeding of bank accounts of beneficiaries. Also Public Financial Management System (PFMS) has started
a daily “Open
house” for the states and Union Territories (UTs) to resolve their technical issues. The applicants can also
raise their grievances on the Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CP-GRAMS)
portal where issues are addressed by the Government.
The Evaluation Study and impact study reports reveal that many SC students who have been provided
support and financial assistance under the above schemes have achieved success.
These schemes collectively promote educational empowerment of students from SC Community.
This information was provided by the MINISTER OF STATE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND
EMPOWERMENT, SHRI RAMDAS ATHAWALE, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
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