North News
Chandigarh, December 7
The Punjab Government has released ₹92 crore under the Post-Matric Scholarship scheme for Scheduled Caste (SC) students from its 2024-25 budget, announced Social Justice, Empowerment, and Minorities Minister Dr. Baljit Kaur at a press conference in Chandigarh. An additional ₹245 crore has been allocated for scholarships in the same fiscal year.
Dr. Kaur revealed that ₹366 crore was released in 2023-24 to clear dues from 2017-2020 under the same scheme. Of this, ₹283.62 crore has already been disbursed to 1,008 institutions, with pending payments to be processed soon. For government institutions and SC students from Punjab studying outside the state, ₹92 crore has been allocated, with ₹59.34 crore already distributed across 256 institutions.
The Minister criticized previous governments for delays in scholarship fund distribution, which led to withheld degrees for SC students. She emphasized the efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s administration to prevent educational disruptions for SC students and appealed to the central government to release its pending share.
Dr. Kaur reported that 2.31 lakh students have registered for the scholarship scheme in 2024-25. The Punjab Government aims to ensure timely disbursement of funds, support educational continuity, and provide financial assistance to mitigate barriers faced by SC students.
She underscored the government’s commitment to the welfare of SC students, highlighting plans to introduce initiatives supporting both education and employment opportunities. The scholarships, she noted, are a cornerstone of Punjab’s vision for social transformation and equity in education.
Officials, including Department Director Sandeep Hans and Deputy Director Ravinderpal Singh Sandhu, were present at the press conference.
