Overseas scholarship slots for SCs to double to 250 from 2026–27; panel flags funding crunch

SLots below the subject abroad Scholarship (NOS) intrigue for Scheduled Caste (SC) students testament double from 125 to 250 from 2026–27, while those for Scheduled Tribe (ST) students will increase from 20 to 50, the Union ministries of social justice and empowerment and tribal affairs informed the Parliamentary standing committee.However, the 31-member committee on social justice and empowerment, chaired by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker P. C. Mohan, raised concerns over the funding and utilisation of the amount allocated to the NOS scheme in its demands for grants report for the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA).Under the NOS scheme, meritorious SC and ST students receive government grants to pursue higher education in the top 1,000 ranked universities abroad.The MoTA spent ₹21.95 crore on 68 ST students under the NOS scheme between 2021–22 and 2024–25. The scheme has been allocated ₹20 crore for Financial Year (FY) 2026–27.The panel, however, expressed dissatisfaction that only ₹8,757.04 crore of the revised estimate of ₹10,824.18 crore for 2025–26 had been utilised by February 23, 2026 — roughly 19% less than the allocation for MoTA. The committee also noted that the ministry has been allocated ₹15,421.97 crore for 2026–27 against a proposed demand of ₹17,223.47 crore — about 10.5% less than sought.According to the committee report tabled on Wednesday, the annual maintenance allowance for ST students will increase from $15,400 to $19,250 in the upcoming Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) cycle for 2026–27 to 2030–31.The MoTA also informed the panel that it will consider raising the family income ceiling for ST students from ₹6 lakh to ₹8 lakh, bringing it in line with the eligibility criteria for SC students.However, the committee flagged funding concerns in the NOS scheme for SC students. The budget estimate for the NOS scheme for SC students in 2026–27 is ₹125 crore, down from ₹130 crore in 2025–26, despite the proposal to double the number of slots. “The Committee is unable to understand how the Department will provide scholarships for 250 slots within the budget meant for 125 slots,” the report said. Currently, SC students receive $15,400 per year as a maintenance allowance for studies in the US and other countries, and £9,900 in the United Kingdom.The panel also pointed out issues with the Post-Matric Scholarship (PMS) scheme for SC students, implemented by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment under MoSJE through states and Union Territories.The number of beneficiaries fell to 36.07 lakh in 2025–26 against a target of 76.55 lakh — an achievement of less than 50%. The scheme covered 47.38 lakh students in 2023–24 and 48.04 lakh in 2024–25.The ministry has proposed raising the family income ceiling from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹4.5 lakh in the next Finance Commission cycle starting in 2026–27. It has also suggested doubling the number of slots from 3,500 to 7,000 and increasing the monthly stipend from ₹4,000 to ₹8,000.