CM Adityanath to provide scholarships to over 4.8 lakh OBC students

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government for the first time under the direction of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath began scholarship distribution for the 2025-26 financial year in September itself, officials said on Thursday.

In the first phase, around Rs 62.13 crore was distributed to benefit more than 2.5 lakh OBC students from classes 9 to 12 . In the second phase, scheduled for Friday, Rs 126.68 crore will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of over 4.83 lakh students.

The chief minister will personally oversee the direct transfer of scholarships during a ceremony organised by the Backward Class Welfare Department at Lok Bhavan Auditorium, an official statement said.

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Scholarship, fee reimbursement schemes

Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Backward Class Welfare and Divyangjan Empowerment, Narendra Kashyap, said the vision of "Viksit Bharat-Viksit Uttar Pradesh" could be achieved only by ensuring education for the state's youth. He said the government's goal is to ensure that no talented student is deprived of education due to financial constraints.

The process of scholarship and fee reimbursement for students from disadvantaged and economically weaker sections has been made faster, transparent, and fully digital, he informed. Kashyap added that under the new system, scholarship distribution began in September for the first time in a financial year.

He said the budget of the Backward Class Welfare Department has increased from Rs 1,295 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 3,124.45 crore in 2025-26 -- an increase of more than 2.5 times. Similarly, the allocation for scholarship and fee reimbursement schemes has also grown significantly.

In 2016-17, during the Samajwadi Party regime, it stood at Rs 1,092.36 crore, he added. Kashyap said scholarships are now distributed entirely online through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to Aadhaar-linked bank accounts, ensuring greater transparency and efficiency.