To promote the educational empowerment of Scheduled Caste students across the country, the Central Government is implementing the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) for Scheduled Castes and the Pre-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Castes and others as Centrally Sponsored Schemes. These schemes are being implemented through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ensuring timely and transparent scholarship payments to eligible students.
Shri Ramdas Athawale, Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, informed the House that both scholarship schemes are open-ended and demand-based. Under these schemes, all eligible students studying in recognized educational institutions across the country can avail themselves of the scholarship benefits. In accordance with the scheme guidelines, action plans are obtained annually from state governments and Union Territories.
He stated that under the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme, funding is shared between the Centre and the states in a 60:40 ratio; for Northeastern states, this ratio is 90:10. Meanwhile, under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, the sharing ratio is 60:40 for general states and 90:10 for Northeastern states, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, whereas the Central Government provides 100 percent of the funding for Union Territories without a legislative assembly.
According to data shared in Parliament, 47,53,420 students across the country benefited from the Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme in the year 2025-26. Meanwhile, 26,79,049 students benefited under the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme.
The government has implemented the DBT system to enhance transparency and accountability in scholarship schemes, ensuring that funds are transferred directly to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts. Applications are accepted through the National Scholarship Portal and state portals, and are verified by the respective state governments and Union Territory administrations.
He stated that between the years 2022-23 and 2025-26, 63,368 students in the relevant districts of Karnataka, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh benefited from pre-matric and post-matric scholarship schemes, for which the Central Government provided assistance amounting to ₹44.06 crore.
(PIB)
