Funding for minority students plummets, govt figures show

There has been a drastic decline in the allocation and utilisation of scholarship funds for minority students in recent years, according to government data. This is partly due to the government’s decision to discontinue key schemes for minorities from 2022-23 onwards.

The data reflects a stark shift from heavy budgetary backing of minority scholarships in 2020-21 and 2021-22, to near-total phasing out of these schemes by 2024-25. The utilisation rate, which once hovered close to 100 per cent, has plunged below 10 per cent in recent years.

The Federal had reported on June 27 that minority scholars across the country were suffering due to non-disbursement of their fellowship and a cut in budget allocation.

Major schemes abandoned

The ministry of minority affairs provides scholarships and fellowships to the six notified minority communities – Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Parsis and Sikhs.

In a written response to an unstarred question by Communist Party of India (Marxist) MPs John Brittas and V Sivadasan, and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut in the Rajya Sabha on August 18, minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, said that the ministry of minority affairs has implemented various schemes, including pre-matric, post-matric and Merit-cum-Means Scholarship (MCM) 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," he wrote.

The three MPs had sought details of budgetary allocations, utilisation, and reasons for under-utilisation of funds or discontinuation of schemes under the ministry of minority affairs.

Alarming drop in allocations

The figures provided by the minister have thrown up some alarming results. As per Kiren Rijiju’s response, the allocation for pre-matric, post-matric and MCM schemes were not approved beyond 2021-22. As a result of this, we see that the pre-matric scholarship scheme, which was allocated Rs 1,330 crore in 2020-21, saw allocations drop to just Rs 90 crore by 2024-25.

Similarly, allocations under the post-matric scheme fell from Rs 535 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 343.91 crore in 2024-25, and MCM went down from Rs 400 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 19.41 crore in 2024-2025.

Also Read: Now, Kerala achieves 100 pc digital literacy

Sharp decline in utilisation

Even more alarming, perhaps, is the sharp fall in the utilisation of these funds. As per the data provided by the ministry, in 2020-21, almost all the allocated funds for these scholarships were being utilised. Of the Rs 1,330 crore allocated for pre-matric scholarships in 2020-21, a near-full Rs 1,325.54 crore was utilised.

Similarly, in the case of post-matric scholarships, Rs 512.81 crore of the Rs 535 crore was utilised, and for the MCM scheme, Rs 396.34 crore was utilised of the Rs 400 crore allocated.

We see the utilisation plummeting after 2022, with 2024-25 revealing the worst figures.

Last year, merely Rs 1.55 crore were utilised of the Rs 90 crore allocated for pre-matric scholarships. The contrast is even more stark in the case of post-matric scholarships, where a meagre Rs 5.31 crore of the Rs 343.91 crore allocated was utilised. The situation remains the same for MCM scholarships, where the utilisation amount was Rs 3.5 crore as against the Rs 19.41 crore allocated.

While the three MPs had also asked for reasons for the “underutilisation” of funds, the answer did not provide any clarity on this.

Government's decision to discontinue the MANF on the grounds of overlap has no basis, as no student can be awarded more than one fellowship anyway. This is injustice...

In the written response, the minority affairs minister also stated that at least three scholarships were discontinued due to “overlaps” with other schemes in 2022-23.

Also read: Why some feel Delhi's bill to curb privatisation of education is problematic

This has potentially led to a large number of minority applicants being unable to access benefits.

MANF stopped

Further, Rijiju wrote that the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) Fellowship Schemes are open for candidates of all social categories and communities including minorities and that students from minority communities are also covered under similar fellowship schemes of other ministries.

However, he added, "In view of such overlap, the Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF) Scheme had been discontinued from year 2022-23."

“It has also been observed that benefits of interest subsidy that got accrued to the beneficiaries under the Padho Pardesh scheme were limited and also that there was an apparent overlap with other similar schemes being implemented by other ministries which are applicable to eligible minority community students as well. In view of the aforesaid overlap, limited benefits and ease of availing education loans on lower rates of interest, the Padho Pradesh Scheme has been discontinued from year 2022-23.

Further, 'Scheme for Providing Education in Madrasas/ Minorities' (SPEMM) has also been discontinued from year 2022-23,” he also added.

As per the written response by the minister, from giving out scholarships, the government’s focus has shifted to educational loans, potentially creating more financial burden over loan repayment, for students from deprived backgrounds.

"The government has eased the norms and made various educational loans available easily to all students through banks. Besides, the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC), a PSU under the ministry of minority affairs, also provides educational loans for education abroad, at lower rates of interest, exclusively to students belonging to minority communities,” Kiren Rijiju wrote in his answer.

Also Read: Congress slams NCERT partition module, says 'set book on fire'; BJP hits back

This is injustice, says scholar

For some, the government data is their lived reality. Naser Faizi, a MANF scholar from Jamia Millia Islamia, was without his fellowship for eight months.

"It's only in July that they started disbursing it in installments despite saying that existing scholars will not be affected. For us, the fight is for continuous monthly disbursement which has been a problem since 2022," he said.

"Moreover, the government's decision to discontinue the MANF on the grounds of overlap has no basis, as no student can be awarded more than one fellowship anyway. This is injustice and makes higher education inaccessible for those from the minority communities who need financial assistance," he added.

Meanwhile, academicians have pointed to the gravity of the issue. Professor Surajit Mazumdar, a professor of economics at the Jawaharlal Nehru University and president of the Federation of Central Universities' Teachers Association (FEDCUTA) told The Federal, "This should be considered very disturbing since the trend in the data can mean only one of two things - either the policy and it's implementation process has become more exclusionary, or the number of candidates who are reaching the stage where they become eligible is declining."

Delaying fellowships

In a separate written response to an unstarred question by Trinamool Congress MP Sagarika Ghose on the MANF issue, also on August 18, Rijiju had said that “the existing MANF fellows will continue to receive fellowships till the end of their respective tenure”.

However, several MANF fellows like Faizi across the country have complained that they’re not getting their fellowships for the last 7-8 months, prompting even the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi to shoot off a letter to Kiren Rijiju in this regard on August 11.