NASHIK: It has been two years since the announcement of the Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme (Class Ist to Xth) for boys and girls from Other Backward Classes and Nomadic Tribes categories, but the first-year scholarship has not reached yet the students. The scheme of giving scholarships for ten months of academic session for backward class school children started in 2019.
Under this scheme, it is proposed to give a scholarship of Rs. 600 per month to the students of Class Ist to VIIth and Rs. 100 per month to the students of Class VIIIth to Xth. Income was required in the first year to avail of the scholarship. Proof of income and caste certificate has now been made mandatory.
However, the first-year scholarship has not been given yet. The second year was affected by Covid. The share of Center and State in this scheme is 50 per cent each. It is understood that the Center has sent its share to the state while the student unions have been following up in this regard. Since the state did not contribute, the question before the state was how to distribute the scholarship.
After that, when asked the Directorate of Other Backward Classes in Pune, Rs 10 crore 30 lakh from the Center has been sent to the District Social Welfare Officer through the Regional Deputy Commissioners, but it has been said that the scholarship cannot be distributed unless the state gives its share.
Then in March 2021, the Director, OBC, SBC, VJNT Pune received 50 per cent of the state’s share in the Centrally Sponsored Scheme amounting to Rs. 10.30 crore. Regional Deputy Commissioners of the state received this amount on March 30, 2021. However, students find that it has not been allocated yet.
