Question : Scholarship to Minority Students

(a) the number of scholarships that the Ministry gives to students along with the number of students who have received those scholarships during the last three years;
(b) the funds envisaged and actually allocated by the Union Government to various scholarship schemes in the country during each of the last three years and the current year, State-wise;
(c) whether the Government proposes to increase the number of scholarship schemes for the students of the minority communities in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government proposes to simplify the procedure for awarding the scholarships and to identify the lacunae and shortcomings in the existing scholarship schemes; and
(e) if so, whether the Government proposes to constitute an expert panel to look into these issues and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS
(SHRI MUKHTAR ABBAS NAQVI)

(a) & (b) : The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements three Scholarship schemes namely Pre-matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-matric Scholarship Scheme and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Schemes throughout the country for educational empowerment of six notified minority communities viz. Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain and Parsi (Zoroastrian). The scheme-wise and year-wise details of physical targets and achievement along with financial achievements made during the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-I to Annexure-III. There is no State/UT-wise financial allocation under any of these schemes.

(c): As of now there is no proposal in this Ministry to increase the number of scholarship schemes for the students of the minority communities in the country.
(d) & (e): With a view to simplify the procedure for awarding scholarships to the students, from the year 2015-16, students belonging to the minority communities are required to apply for any of the aforesaid scholarships online on a dedicated scholarship portal i.e. National Scholarship Portal (NSP) under URL: www.scholarships.gov.in. Activity timelines are drawn up and communicated to all States/UTs and stakeholders at the beginning of each year as well as posted on the website of the Ministry. The scholarships are now disbursed under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode into the students'' bank accounts electronically, minimizing tiers involved in fund flow thereby reducing delay in payment, ensuring accurate targeting of the beneficiary and curbing pilferage as well as duplication. Moreover, now the students can submit self-declaration/self-certification and self-attested copies of documents in respect of religion certificate, mark-sheets, etc. Periodic reviews are undertaken with the State Governments/UT Administrations, banks and other stakeholders.
*****