PAC grills Centre, States on ‘fraud markers’ flagged by CAG in SC scholarship schemes
Committee Members question the Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, on why action-taken reports against points highlighted in the CAG audit had not been submitted; Ministry assures panel that the reports will be submitted in a month’s time
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in New Delhi on Thursday questioned the Union and several State governments over "fraud markers" detected by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in the pre- and post-matric scholarship schemes for Scheduled Caste (SC) students. PAC Chairman K.C. Venugopal led the inquiry, which resulted in the failure of six State Chief Secretaries to appear before the committee.
The CAG's 2025 report highlighted issues such as delayed scholarship disbursement, improper checks on income eligibility, scholarships being granted to ineligible beneficiaries, and improper disbursements. Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry was given a month to submit detailed action-taken reports on each issue flagged by the CAG.
The government claims the implementation burden lies on State governments, and the Ministry assures the reports will be submitted in a month's time.
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