(a) whether his Ministry is planning to support students from backward and rural areas in the light of the current struggles in Universities for funding students from underprivileged backgrounds;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) if not, the reasons therefor?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
(SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)
(a), (b) & (c) The Ministry of Panchayati Raj oversees the implementation of the Part IX of the Constitution, the provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and Article 243 ZD in Part IX A of the Constitution relating to District Planning Committees. Towards empowerment and enablement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) the Ministry inter alia devolves funds under Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC). For the award period 2015-20, FFC grants to the tune of Rs.2,00,292.20 crore have been allocated to Gram Panchayats constituted under Part IX of the Constitution, amounting to an assistance of Rs.488 per capita per annum at an aggregate level for 26 States. The Grants provided are intended to be used to support and strengthen the delivery of basic civic services, such as- water supply, sanitation including septage management, sewerage and solid waste management, storm water drainage, maintenance of community assets, maintenance of roads, footpaths and street lighting, and burial and cremation grounds, and any other basic service within the functions assigned to them under relevant legislations. The Ministry is also implementing Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan for Capacity Building of PRIs. There is no proposal in Ministry of Panchayati Raj to support students from rural and backward areas.
Department of Social Justice and Empowerment have informed that the programme of the Department are not specific to backward/rural areas. The Department through its programmes and schemes strives to build an inclusive society wherein students of the underprivileged, marginalized sections are provided adequate support for their growth and development. Scholarship schemes at the pre-matric and post-matric levels aim for educational empowerment of Scheduled Caste (SCs), Other backward Classes (OBCs); Economically backward Classes (EBCs) and Denotified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs). Some of the other major schemes of educational empowerment of the under privileged groups include (i) National Fellowship schemes for Scheduled Caste/OBC students that provide financial assistance to the students from the marginalized sections to pursue research studies leading to M. Phil., Ph.D. and equivalent research degree in universities, research institutions and scientific institutions; (ii) Top Class Education Scheme promoting qualitative education amongst SC students, by providing full financial support for pursuing studies beyond 12th Class; and (iii) the National Overseas Scholarship scheme that provides assistance to selected Scheduled Caste, Denotified and nomadic tribes, landless agriculture labours and traditional artisans’ students for pursuing higher studies of Master Level courses and PhD programmers abroad in specified fields of study.
Further, Ministry of Tribal Affairs implements following scholarships schemes for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students in the country:-
(i) Pre-Matric Scholarships for ST students (9th & 10th Std.)
(ii) Post-Matric Scholarships for ST students (Class 11th onwards)
(iii) National Fellowship & Scholarship for Higher Education for ST students
(iv) National Overseas Scholarship for ST students for studying abroad.