Pre-matric scholarship now limited to classes 9, 10 in government schools under OBC category

NEW DELHI: The pre-matric scholarship has now been limited to classes 9 and 10 in government schools only under the OBC category, the government said on Wednesday. Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, social justice and empowerment minister Virendra Kumar said this has been done in order to rationalise the scholarship.

"The pre-matric scholarship has now been limited to Class 9 and 10 in government schools only under the OBC category," he said in a written response. Kumar said the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 makes it obligatory for the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education (classes 1 to 8) to each and every child.

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Accordingly, only students of classes 9 and 10 are covered under the pre-matric scholarship scheme for OBC," he said in a written response. Responding to another question, Minister of State for Social Justice Pratima Bhoumik said representations are being received from various individuals and organizations to provide reservation for OBCs on the basis of their population. "However, there is no proposal to provide 50 per cent reservation for OBCs in education and employment," she said in a written reply.

Earlier, the pre-matric scholarship used to cover education for Classes 1 to 8 also belonging to SC, ST, OBC and minority communities. Several organisations have condemned this moved and calling it an “undisguised assault on the fundamental right to education for the poorest children from historically discriminated sections of our society.”

"Narendra Modi ji, your Government has shut down Pre- Matric Scholarship meant for SC, ST, OBC and Minority students of Class 1 to Class 8. What is the point of depriving scholarships to poor students? How much will your Government earn or save by snatching this money from poor students," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked.