Scholarships to ST students to be disbursed on schedule; 30,000 applications received

SRINAGAR: In line with its vision and enduring commitment for welfare of tribals, the Directorate of Tribal Affairs on Wednesday said that it has geared itself to ensure sectoral development through efficient implementation of scholarship schemes meant for tribal students.

Director Tribal Affairs said that there will be no delay in disbursement of scholarships among the genuine ST students and slew of measures have been undertaken to reduce the release time of scholarship. He informed that due to extensive outreach and publicity, more than 30,000 applications have been received under both the schemes for 2024-25, which is more than 120% of the applications received in the previous academic year 2023-24.

He said that the verification and course wise grouping process has been completed involving around 670 universities, colleges and schools. He added that genuine students will receive their scholarship through the DBT mode as per the procedural guidelines of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

The process is being undertaken on a war footing basis and as soon as course master vetting takes place by the Ministry for Tribal Affairs, the further process with regard to the disbursement of scholarships among the eligible students will start immediately, he added.

The Director further said that the department is working to streamline the application and disbursement processes, enhance transparency and strengthen the monitoring mechanisms to guarantee timely delivery of scholarships.

“This move reflects the government’s continued commitment towards promoting the educational equity and empowerment among the tribal communities,” he added.

Referring to certain social media reports about the alleged delay in disbursement of scholarships among the ST students, he refuted the claim saying that the process is in its final stages.

“The department is committed to ensure that scholarship amounts are disbursed in a transparent manner and to the rightful beneficiaries.
The concerned officers have been directed to make sure that every eligible student receives their scholarship benefits without delay,” he said.

He further maintained that Tribal Affairs Minister, Javed Ahmed Rana has issued strict directives to all the concerned to ensure that every eligible Scheduled Tribe (ST) student is able to access and benefit from the scholarship schemes available to them. He further said that Javed Rana had emphasized that no deserving student should be deprived of educational opportunities due to delays, administrative lapses or lack of awareness.