Union Budget 2022: Several scholarship, fellowships schemes for marginalised students face cuts

NEW DELHI: The ministries of social justice and empowerment, tribal affairs and minority affairs have all seen total allocations rise marginally in the Union Budget 2022, announced by the finance minister on Tuesday. All three offer major scholarship and fellowship schemes for students some of which have seen their budgets rise. But despite the increase, the budget estimates for some schemes are still below 2020-21 levels.

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The allocation to the post-matric scholarship scheme for students from Scheduled Castes (SC), offered by the ministry of social justice and empowerment (MSJE), has risen by over Rs 2,200 crore. In 2021, the union government had allocated Rs 35,219 crore for this scholarship till 2025-26. However, the budget for the PMS scheme for students from the Other Backward Classes (OBC), offered by the same ministry, has been cut by over Rs 100 crore. The PMS for tribal students (ST) offered by the ministry of tribal affairs has seen a marginal increase. The post-matric scholarship as well as the merit-cum-means scholarship offered by the ministry of minority affairs has seen cuts as well; plus, the Maulana Azad Education Foundation, which works on the education of minority communities, has received just Rs 1 lakh, down from Rs 70 crore in the current year’s budget. The MAEF, the budget document explains, is run with the interest earned on the investment of its corpus fund.

The finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, announced the budget estimates of the next financial year on Tuesday. In her budget speech, Sitharaman acknowledged that the two years of the pandemic and school closures have resulted in a set back to children’s education, especially those from marginalised backgrounds. “Children in rural areas and SC, ST have lost almost two years of education. There is a need to impart supplementary education to them,” she said. However, the measures proposed are all in the domain of online learning and classes through television.

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Union Budget: Ministry of social justice and empowerment

The table below shows how major schemes have been funded over the past few years, starting from the pre-pandemic budget estimates for 2019-20. The outlay for several scholarship and fellowships schemes for OBCs and SC have faced cuts. The pre-matric scholarships for Scheduled Castes received Rs 500 crore for financial year 2022-23, down from Rs 725 crore in 2021-22. The scheme had received Rs 700 in 2020-21. Also, in the Union Budget 2022, National Fellowship for Scheduled Castes has received a cut of Rs 127 crore. .

Union Budget 2022: SC, OBC scholarships, fellowships

Overall, the scholarships for higher education for young achievers scheme (SHREYAS) for SCs has declined from Rs 450 crore to Rs 364 crore.

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Budget Analysis: Ministry of tribal affairs

Pre and post matric scholarships offered to Adivasi students by the ministry of tribal affairs, have seen marginal increase in allocations. The budget for post-matric scholarship for tribal students has increased by Rs 28 crore, from Rs 1,993 crore in 2021-22. Further, the budget for the pre-matric scholarship increased from Rs 400 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 419 crore in 2022-23.

The central scholarships scheme, which saw increased allocation in 2021-22, has received a cut, from Rs 153 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 148 crore in 2022-23.

The Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) have had their budget increase by a significant Rs 581.96 crore, from Rs 1418.04 crore in 201-22 to Rs 2,000 crores for the upcoming financial year. The scheme supports residential schools run for tribal students.

Union Budget 2022: Tribal ministry schemes

Budget Highlights 2022: Ministry of minority affairs

All major schemes offered by the ministry of minority affairs have seen marginal increase in allocations over the 2021-22 estimates but the budgets for two schemes are still lower than what they were in 2020-21. Plus, the MAEF has had its budget docked to just Rs 1 lakh.

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Budget 2022: Schemes for minorities