22 Dec ;The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has introduced a new Central Sector Scholarship Scheme of Top Class Education for ST Students from the academic year 2007-08 with the objective of enabling meritorious ST students to pursue degree and post degree level courses in any of the identified institutes.
125 institutes have been approved under the scheme, in both the Government and private sectors covering the field of management, medicine, engineering, law and commercial courses. Each institute has been allocated a maximum of five awards with a ceiling of total 635 scholarships per year. A meritorious ST student who has gained admission in any of these 125 identified institutes shall be eligible for receiving the scholarship under this scheme provided he falls within the inter-se seniority of top five meritorious ST students and the total family income of the ST student from all the sources does not exceed Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, Dr. Rameshwar Oraon in a reply to a question by Shri Jai Prakash Narayan Singh in Rajya Sabha today. He said that under the scheme, eligible ST students are awarded scholarship covering full tuition fee and other non-refundable dues in respect of Government/Government-funded institutions. However, there is a ceiling of Rs.2.00 lakh per annum per student for private sector institutions and Rs.3.72 lakh per annum per student for the private sector flying clubs for Commercial Pilot Training. In addition, the scholarship also provides for (i) living expenses @ Rs. 2200/- per month per student subject to actuals, (ii) books and stationery @ Rs. 3000/- per annum per student and (iii) cost of a latest computer system along with its accessories limited to Rs. 45000/- as one time assistance during the course. Grant is being released to identified institutes and not State-wise. During 2007-08, grant was released to various institutes for disbursement of scholarship to 78 ST students.