‘Disheartened’ with government reply, House panel seeks measures to fix delay in scholarship disbursal

The Parliamentary standing committee on Social Justice and Empowerment has demanded stringent measures to guarantee timely scholarship payments to students, expressing dissatisfaction with the government's reply. The committee also urged the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) to reconsider the Rs 8 lakh annual income limit for free coaching for students from Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Classes.

A report detailing the committee's recommendations was submitted to both Houses of Parliament on Monday, based on their feedback in March 2026 on the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment's Demands for Grants (2026-27). Out of the 25 recommendations, the government agreed to 14, accepting 56% of the suggestions. The committee rejected the government's response to four issues, including the delay in scholarship disbursal, utilization of the free coaching scheme budget, revision of the family income ceiling for the free coaching scheme, and the establishment of special police stations under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.

The March report highlighted that funds were released in the following academic year due to states' inability to finalize application processing procedures. The government responded by attributing delays to verification process delays at the state level. The committee expressed disappointment with this routine explanation, as they had anticipated a solution from the Department, leaving students reliant on state authorities.

Concerning special police stations, only seven States/Union Territories had established them despite the Prevention of Atrocities Act being in place for over three decades. The committee recommended that necessary steps be taken to expedite the approval of a proposal for increased budgetary support to strengthen the implementation of the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, and SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989.